


Awake

by aqueenofokay



Series: Awake [2]
Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: H20Vanoss - Freeform, Sci-Fi AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-03
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-04 17:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 47,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5341670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aqueenofokay/pseuds/aqueenofokay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Conscious; Adjective. Aware of and responding to one's surroundings; awake.</p><p>Machines can't be conscious. They can't think for themselves. What makes this one so different?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am super excited for this fic. I'm sorry if it's a bit complicated, the idea in general is hard to understand at first. This fic is based on the concept of the video game SOMA. Delirious and Markiplier had done lets plays of it. (Mark's goes into detail with it so i'd recommend that one.)  
> This fic is set way far in the future so when I describe settings, feel free to imagine it how you want! It's very sci-fi, cyberpunk.  
> Thank you for reading!

“Do you feel real?”

“Yes.” The machine answered. It’s voice sounded computer generated, pausing between the sounds. They never had their own voice. All they had was a recording of sounds put together to form a language that could be changed to another with a simple computer code that was the same in all the talking machines. The same voice was hard to get away from.

“Do you know what ‘real’ is?”

“Yes. Real; adjective. Already existing as a thing or occurring in fact.” They were programmed to say these kinds of answers. It was the correct answer after all, programmed to say the right thing to almost every question. Everything was programmed, with formulas and wiring that never failed, their technology tested hundreds of times over and over. Nothing was ever new.

“When you get to work, will you be happy about it?”

“Yes. My goal is to create human comfort.” Their goals were even programmed. Right from their creation, it was decided what they would be. From a police officer to a server, there was no choice and there was no fighting it. “Do you know what happens if that goal is not completed?”

“Yes. I will be terminated.” It was the worst question to ask. Even though they were just machines on the inside, on the outside they were human. They do not have a consciousness, but they are still a being. How could someone be okay with ending them?

What made it even worse was the way that the robots answered the question. They did not seem to care, all a part of their programming. They didn’t care about their existence, that wasn’t important to them. All they cared about was serving their purpose. If they were conscious, how could they be okay with their existence ending?

Jonathan looked down at the glowing tablet in front of him with the questions he hated so much. They were the same ones he was given every time, so dull and repetitive that he bet that by now, he could do this off by heart. Yet he was never prepared for how it felt to be in this room, sitting across from the machine. Sometimes they were robots, sometimes they were small machines that he could hold in his hands. Those ones were less intimidating because they couldn’t stare at him with empty glowing eyes. His light blue school uniform suit felt tighter than usual, needing to loosen his tie. The white room was full of awkward tension and bright white lights. It was because of this room that Jonathan found himself becoming claustrophobic, no longer liking to be in rooms with no windows.

He stared at the robotic human who stared back at him, waiting for the next question but there weren’t any more to ask. It’s glowing blue lights behind the glass painted to look like eyes, watched Jonathan closely as he shifted awkwardly on his chair, tapping his fingers anxiously against the table top. Jonathan’s eyes moved to the camera in the corner of the room with desperation, the door sliding opening a few moments later.

“That's enough for today. Thank you Jonathan.” His father said sternly from where he stood in the doorway. Jonathan nodded, relieved to get out of the room. “Off to school now.” This routine was normal. Up early to test robots for their consciousness and their intelligence, then off to school to learn about the things that would allow him to create the very machines he tested. He didn't say goodbye to his father or talk about the test that had just occurred and it’s results.They didn't need to. Jonathan would tell him that they had been programmed right every time no matter how much they unsettled him.He prepared himself for something different and new with every test but they were always the same. A robot without a consciousness. Only more and more programming.

 

“Okay, okay. Random question but I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. What would you do if you were to encounter a machine that is in fact completely human in every way except that it is made out of metal and wires and all that junk?”

“I don’t think thats possible.” Jonathan sat on the school’s roof, the cold breeze of fall stinging his cheeks. Yet as cold as it was, he insisted on being outside, away from people who avoided him at all costs simply because of who his father was. Jonathan’s family ran this city full of machines, destining him to a life of technology and computer code. Only one person could look past that, able to pretend it was nothing more than a family business. They were the only person that could make Jonathan feel less lonely in this cold, technological world. Jonathan looked up at Luke as he asked the question before looking back down his drink and shrugged. Luke was always coming up with impossible ideas, thinking of things he shouldn't.

“A human machine? It’s aware of stuff!” Luke said excitedly. “Wouldn’t that be cool?”

“I told you! I don't think that's possible. I mean it would have to pass every possible Turing Test…Get humans to believe it’s human. Of all the things my father has created, none of them have been like that. A machine can’t be human.” Jonathan explained. “Trust me. I would know. My father is always saying that a machine that can think for itself is dangerous in our world.” Jonathan's father and grandfather could be credited with creating the world they lived in now, inventing machine after machine that was smarter than the one that came before. They replaced people in the workforce and pampered the rich who sat back in New Town, full of ritz, glamour and machines while the Replaced rioted in dirty, factory filled Old Town, demanding an end to the machines. Yet as smart as these machines were, they could never create the a human machine.

“I meant is that what if there was a consciousness in a machine?” Luke tried to explain, stumbling over his words as he tried to explain it simpler.

“That kind of technology is something we can't do yet. Besides, that would be wrong. It’s horrible, living a life in a machine.What kind of existence would that be?” Jonathan sighed. “I wouldn't support it if my father created it. You can't put a life in something as restricting as a machine even if it is one that can move and talk.” The city of New Town shimmered in the midday sunlight, the massive skyscrapers covered in glass and silver metal that reflected every ray of light. Beyond the new, glittering towers was Old Town, full of ruin, graffiti and smoke as cars, machines and buildings burned as the Replaced rioted. There always a smell of smoke and fire in the air even in New Town. Jonathan felt sympathy for them. They wanted to be heard and his father and others high up in New Town would not listen, only creating more machines as if they could stop the problem. “Can we talk about something some thing else other than machines?” Jonathan sighed, leaning back on the metal roof.

“Like what?” Luke asked but Jonathan couldn’t think of anything. He was constantly surrounded by machines, the exception being the few living people like his parents and Luke. There were days when he himself felt like a machine. He didn’t know what else to talk or think about. “I got some new games.” Luke smiled, trying to change the subject. Jonathan turned away from the glowing bright city to his friend, relieved that he didn’t have to try to think of something to say.

“Yeah?” Their conversation continued for the rest of their lunch break, full of laughter and smiles till the bell rang calling them back to their classes of sciences and maths that were required to succeed in this world run by machines.

 

 

New Town was beautiful at night, it’s skyscrapers glowing blue and white, as bright as the stars in the sky. Though the sky above Old Town in the distance was dark orange from the flames and full of smoke, the sky above New Town was full of stars as bright as the lights in the city. Jonathan’s wall of windows in his bedroom always gave him the best view, able to watch the airships go by and the neon lights flashing like the angry fires in Old Town. Jonathan's eyes were on his windows instead of his digital textbooks, the glowing light from the device illuminating the walls and the room around him.

Whirring and beeping noise broke the silence, coming from the tiny robots that walked back and forth on his desk, their only purpose being to entertain. He tore his gaze away from the city, blimps and other airships floating past his high up window, looking at the tiny robots that walked to and fro across his desk. They had been a gift from Luke who made them as a class project then decided to give them to him. He put his hand out, letting one of the tiny robots walk on to his hand and stop as if confused as to where it was. He set it back down on the table, watching it walk around on the familiar desk.

“There you go. Not so weird now. You know this space.” Jonathan smiled, leaning his head down the desk as he watched the robots walk in circles.

“Jonathan?” His mother called, walking into the room as his bedroom door slid open to let her in. “Getting your homework done?”

“Yeah. Just finishing my math now.” He nodded, sitting upright in his chair, trying to make it seem like he had been doing his work.

“Good.” His mother didn’t seem to care about what he was doing. Jonathan was used to this after years of it, wanting her to leave him be. “Your father wanted me to give you this.” She held something rectangular wrapped in red and white wrapping paper towards him. Jonathan stared at it with confusion, not sure why his father would want to give him anything. He wasn’t the type to do that.

“It’s not a holiday. Why?” Jonathan asked as he reluctantly took the present.

“He told me that he has been so proud of how much work you are putting in for the company. He wanted to reward you!” She smiled, encouraging him to open it. “He said that this is something brand new and he wants you to have the first one. Go on. Open it!” He could tell that his father hadn’t wrapped it, hadn’t cared to put so much effort into it. His mother at least tried.

With a sigh, he pulled the wrapping paper back, revealing what looked like a simple tablet but it was a bit smaller than the usual ones. He hadn’t seen it before, not given such a device to test with his questions on purpose and feelings of being real. “What is it?” He asked, turning it over. On the back, the design of an owl stared back at him, the white colour of the lines jumping off the matte black back. He turned it back over, seeing the name of the device at the top of the screen. “Vanoss-III? I’ve never seen this before. What does it do?”

“Vanoss-III is a virtual friend. You can talk with it any time and it can talk with you! Isn’t that wonderful?” His mother smiled brightly. “Do you like it?” Jonathan hated it. How could his parents think that he needed a virtual friend? How could they think that he needs another machine in his life? Were they trying to replace Luke? He wanted to throw it back at her, or on the hard floor and watch it crack and break. His hands curled around it tightly, wondering if he could snap it in half.

“Thanks.” He set the small machine down on the desk. “I’m gonna get back to my homework. I’ll try it out later.” Jonathan said politely so he wouldn't upset his mother even though he felt so hurt and angry. “Thank you.” He quickly added. She nodded, giving him a kiss on the top of his head before leaving the room.

Jonathan tried to stay preoccupied with his homework, his eyes glancing every so often to the Vanoss-III. He hated it so much he wanted to toss it into the trash and forget about it. He laughed at the idea of a virtual friend. Did they really think he was that lonely? Did they think that he needed a machine to feel better about himself? Without thinking, his hand hit the device off his desk, hitting the carpeted floor with a loud bang. He was content with leaving it there, hoping he would forget about it and step on the machine if the impact hadn’t broke it. Yet he found himself looking at it again and wondering what it actually did.

Despite how much he hated the Vanoss-III, he was curious. He moved away from his desk, sitting down the floor where the machine had landed. He slowly reached out for it, hitting the power button to turn it on. The same owl design on the back appeared on the screen, glowing a light shade of red. “Hello?” The voice came out of the machine, making Jonathan jump.

“Oh...This is strange. I-” The voice was not programmed. It was a human voice, as if he was talking with Luke through a phone. Jonathan hit the power button, turning it off as he pushed it away frantically.

“How…” Jonathan stared at the Vanoss-III, feeling disturbed. He wanted to take it apart and look inside at it’s wiring and technology, wanting to understand why it’s voice had no computer programming and formulas. Another part of him wanted to turn it back on and ask it himself. Another part wanted to destroy it, it scared him so much. Slowly, Jonathan reached for the device. He hesitated before turning it back on, the owl flashing red on the screen as it turned on.

“Don’t understand. Oh...That was weird too.” The voice was soft and light, strangely continuing as if the machine had never been turned off. It was a young man’s voice that was full of confusion and wonder. “Who are you?” The device was asking questions, thinking aloud and having emotions. Jonathan marveled at what kind of technology went into it to make it seem so human. He stared at it in wonder, noticing how the owl would light up every time the machine spoke, filling the dimly lit room with it’s soft red glow.

“You want to know my name?” Jonathan asked, baffled by the question, baffled by the question coming from a machine. 

“Yes...Isn’t that the polite thing to do?” The machine asked, the voice sounding playful. If the machine had a face, Jonathan knew that the words would be joined with a smile.

“Jonathan. My name is Jonathan. You’re...Vanoss-III? Right?” He knew that machines were never given names other than their product name. Then again, this device seemed to be smarter already than every other device that he had ever seen before. It wasn’t like other machines.

“Is it? That sounds...scientific.” Vanoss-III said, the voice sounded awkward but full of life. Jonathan was starting to feel glad that he didn’t destroy the device now though he still hated it’s purpose.

“It is. What is your purpose...as a machine?” Jonathan remembered his tests, knowing all the answers that were given to him from all the machines he had questioned before. This one shouldn’t be different if it was programmed the same.

“I was told for research.” Vanoss-III answered, the red owl lighting up as it spoke. “This is something new they said…” The way the voice trailed off made it seem like it was thinking but Jonathan knew that wasn’t possible. The machines he knew were not capable of thought, curiosity and emotions. Then again, he didn’t know this machine.

“No I asked what you what your purpose is. Not what someone told you.” Jonathan rephrased his question.

“Oh! I don't know...I can't do much except talk...Am I supposed to talk?” Vanoss-III asked.

“Yes. You are supposed to talk.” Jonathan smiled. The machine didn't smart like the others did, capable to answer any question or equation yet Vanoss-III seemed smarter in an emotional way.“You’re supposed to be a friend. A virtual friend.”

“Oh...that doesn't sound fun if I’m being honest. I want to be a real friend.” Vanoss-III said, making Jonathan laugh. His anger at the device faded. He felt bad for being so angry at it that he would destroy such an innocent sounding thing. It isn’t Vanoss-III’s fault that it had been programmed to be this way. Instead he was angry at his father for thinking that this type of machine was necessary. It was taking away human contact and even Vanoss-III understood this was not a good thing. 

“I was thinking the same thing.” Jonathan decided he would try the other questions but Vanoss-III didn't answer them. Instead it asked questions back, as if testing Jonathan. “Do you feel real?”

“I feel real. Are you real?” Vanoss-III’s voice sounded full of laughter as if this was all a joke. Jonathan thought the same as well, unable to think of any other explanation. Jonathan didn’t know what to think about Vanoss-III. He set the small thin machine down on the table, reaching for the kit of tools on his desk, wanting to take the back off the device and see what was inside. “Jonathan…” The machine said the name curiously, as if it wasn't sure if it was right. Jonathan paused, the screwdriver held in his hand over the back of the device. “Where are we?”

“New Town. I can show you. I don’t think you can see it but…” He got off the floor as he set the tools down, walking over to the large floor to ceiling window. He held the Vanoss-III to the window, pressing it against the cold glass. The device was silent for a few moments, as if taking in the glowing lights, hovering ships and the smoke in the distance.

“Lights. All I see is lights. I’ve never seen so many.” Vanoss-III finally said, it’s impossibly human-like voice full of wonder. “It’s beautiful.”


	2. Chapter 2

The school courtyard was loud, full of students dressed in their blue uniforms whose voices echoed throughout the yard, and the occasional noise from the machines that acted as supervisors, the gentle versions of the machines that prowled the streets of Old Town.

Jonathan had reluctantly shown Luke the Vanoss-III, the two of them now standing away from the others as Jonathan pulled the tablet shaped machine out of his bag and gave it to Luke.

“Vanoss-III? All it does it talk?” Jonathan nodded as Luke turned the Vanoss-III over in his hands, looking over it’s matte surface, tracing the white owl on the back with his fingers. “Have you tried talking with it yet?” Luke asked brightly, oblivious to how on edge Jonathan was. He wanted to take it back and hold the machine close but he let Luke hold it. The thought of what Luke would think if he did that kept him from acting upon the urge. People in New Town never get close to their machines. They are replaceable.

“I have. Vanoss-III’s very intelligent. More than any other I’ve ever encountered. It’s kinda...Beautiful.” Jonathan remembered how the machine reacted to seeing the city and it’s glowing lights. “I think that Vanoss-III can react to things. More than the normal machine. I want to take it apart and see what is on the inside...But I’d be worried that I'd harm it.”

“Harm it? Jon, Vanoss-III is a machine. How could you harm it?” Luke laughed as he turned the device on, watching the red owl light up. Jonathan ignored the comment, instead looking down at the glowing owl design on the screen.

“Who are you? Where is Jonathan?” Vanoss-III asked, sounding panicked. It almosg seemed like Vanoss was searching for Jonathan, scared to not be near him.

“I’m right here, Vanoss. This is my friend, Luke. Luke, this is Vanoss-III.” Jonathan smiled, taking the device back from Luke. He held the machine gently in his hands as Vanoss-III was a person, delicate and gentle.

“So it doesn't do anything else?” Luke asked. Jonathan shook his head, holding the device close.

“No. Just talks.” Jonathan shrugged. “A virtual friend.” He mocked what his mother had said.

“Is there something wrong with that?” Vanoss-III asked, sounding concerned.

“A machine with emotions! That’s cool.” Luke said excitedly. “People in Old Town would lose their shit about this. No need for people anymore if we got emotional machines.” Luke said. Jonathan couldn't tell if he was joking or not. 

“You can't replace people with machines...At least not emotionally. You could only do that with another human.” Jonathan explained.

“Luke…” Vanoss’ voice startled them, both looking down at the device. “Did you say Old Town?”

“I-I did.” Luke said curiously. “Why?”

“I know it...I know I know it from somewhere.” Vanoss-III said, the machine’s voice full of more wonder that continued to surprise Jonathan.

“I only told you about New Town. How could you know about Old Town? You’ve never heard that name.” Jonathan asked. The Vanoss-III went silent, as if pondering the question.

“It sounds...familiar.” Vanoss-III finally answered. Luke and Jonathan looked up at each other with confusion and shock. “I don't know why. Is that bad?”

“No. No it’s okay.” Jonathan smiled as the school bell rang. “I have to turn you off now. I’ll talk to you later.”

“No wait! Do-” Vanoss-III started to say, cut off as it was turned off. Jonathan pretended he didn't hear the fear in the machine’s voice.

“For a computer device, the voice is very nice. Like talking with you.” Luke said as they walked inside, Vanoss-III held tightly in Jonathan's hands.

“That's what makes me nervous. I don't know why it’s like that. A machine with a human voice that is so perfect in speech pattern, with it’s own emotions, shouldn't be possible. Artificial intelligence doesn't even have that kind of perfect speech.” Jonathan explained. “They don't have personality. Vanoss-III does.”

“What if it’s not artificial?” Luke asked as they reached his class. “Vanoss-III is capable of thinking for itself! That means the machine is conscious! That Vanoss is real! Maybe all of his memories were taken away or something. That could be why Vanoss reacted to Old Town!”

“No! No, like I said yesterday that’s not possible.” Jonathan insisted. “My father may be a dick, but he is not a sick, horrible person that would put a human consciousness in a machine!”

“Fine. Believe what you want.” Luke smiled, walking into his classroom and left Jonathan in the hallway.

He stared down at Vanoss-III, the owl on the staring back up at him. “It’s not possible.”

 

The soft red glow filled the whole dark bedroom, almost as bright as the lights that came from the towers and the orange glow over Old Town.

Jonathan couldn’t sleep so he had turned the Vanoss-III device on though the machine only spoke when Jonathan talked to it. Maybe it wasn't much of a virtual friend after all.

Luke couldn't be right. Not only was the technology not there to take a consciousness but it was horrible, even for his father, to do such a thing. “Why did you recognize the name ‘Old Town?” Jonathan asked, turning onto his side.

“It sounds like something that I know really well but I don't know why.” Vanoss-III admitted.

“Maybe you heard it during testing.” Jonathan decided. “Programmed into your vocabulary by accident.”

“I wasn't tested.” Vanoss said after a moment. Jonathan sat up suddenly, staring down at the machine.

“What?”

“I wasn't tested. At least I have no memory of it. I remember a bright white light, then nothing...and then you.” Vanoss-III explained, before going silent. It seemed like Vanoss was scared and sad by the way the voice spoke.“Something, everything feels wrong, Jonathan.”

“What do you mean?”

“I feel like something is missing.”

“What is missing?” Jonathan picked up Vanoss-III, holding the machine in his hands gently.

“Myself.”

 

“The machine said what?” Jonathan's father demanded. Jonathan held Vanoss-III tightly, regretting his decision to tell his father what it had said. He had wanted to know if Vanoss-III had been programmed to be like this but he realised quickly that he wasn't going to.get his answer.

“It said ‘myself.’ It believes that it has a self.” He paused, bracing himself for the next question. “Is it more than just artificially intelligent?” Jonathan asked.

“Of course it’s artificial! What else could it be?” His father snapped.

“It has developed its own consciousness then. Thinking for itself!” Jonathan cried. “How else can you explain it if Vanoss-III is artificial?”

“Give it to me.” His father stood up, walking around his desk to take the Vanoss-III from Jonathan.“It’s malfunctioning. We’ll fix it. It won't be a problem anymore.”

“No!” Jonathan yelled, stepping away from him. “There is nothing to fix! Vanoss-III isn't broken. I just want to know why Vanoss is thinking like this!”

“Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? A machine starts thinking for itself in a world powered by machines, they all start thinking for themselves! Those fools in Old Town will be all for it! You want to let it destroy our world because of one stupid machine?” His father glared darkly down at Jonathan who stared back just as angry. They were silent, both too furious to say anything. Jonathan hated his father for creating these machines. For creating something like Vanoss who was as much a person to Jonathan as Luke was. Now his father wanted to destroy it as if Vanoss was nothing.

“How can you create something that you are scared of?” Jonathan asked, backing up towards the door. His father was caught off guard, not expecting that question. “There is nothing wrong with Vanoss-III.” He left the office, hurrying down the blue lit hallway. “It’s okay, Vanoss. I’m not going to let them take you away from me.” He whispered even though he knew that the machine was off, that he wasn't heard.

 

“Okay, okay...How about this! This is an article from a paper in Old Town.” Luke said, his voice coming from the screen in front of Jonathan. They were video calling, though both should be doing homework. They had gotten back into the conversation about consciousness in machines again. It was all they seemed to talk about nowadays. 

Vanoss-III was on Jonathan's desk, silent and off since Jonathan's fight with his father. He had wanted to turn it on and ask Vanoss so many things like what the machine. could remember and if it thought it was truly real but he decided not to. He was scared of the possibility of Vanoss-III being real.

So instead he quietly did his science and listened to Luke read the article. “Several people have gone missing since the rumours of New Town’s newest and immoral device, the Vanoss-III, reached Old Town. From a source in New Town, the machine is said to be like a virtual friend, removing human contact altogether.” Luke read. “Oh this gets good.”

Jonathan sighed, running his hands through his hair. “Luke stop.”

“This device is said to be conscious, aware of surroundings and emotions. We can only guess that the missing people are connected to this machine. We cannot dismiss the possibility. ‘We lost our best friend.’ One young man named Tyler said. We have included a list of the people who have disappeared from Old Town. If you have information please contact the RA. What's the RA?” Luke paused to ask.

“Replaced Authorities. People in Old Town, the Replaced, don't like our police force so they created their own. One that is not mechanical. My father said that's inhumane, using real people to deal with crimes and riots.” Jonathan explained, trying to stay focused on his work. He hated talking about his father’s views, constantly hearing them and saying them himself.

“Right….Well the list includes a lot of people.” Luke said, quickly changing the subject.

“You’ve heard of what Old Town is like. It’s a scary place. People go missing for all sorts of reasons over there. Vanoss-III is not a stolen consciousness from one of these people. It’s a machine that simply developed one on it’s own.” Jonathan insisted, trying to stay focused on his math. “That's all. My father said it’s malfunctioning…” He trailed off when he realised that Luke wasn't listening anymore, instead reading off the names on the list.

“Marcel...Anthony...Mae...Evan…” Luke said aloud as he read through the names. “They all seem like ordinary people. Good people.”

“Good people disappear all the time.” Jonathan sighed. “That list is just more propaganda to blame New Town and the machines for all of Old Town’s problems. You’ve seen that stuff before.”

“What the fuck is with you? You are normally all for fighting your dad. What has gotten into you? This Vanoss-III is different! Don't you want to know why? Figure it out?” Luke cried, sounding annoyed. 

“They will take Vanoss away if I do! Destroy it! If I keep fighting and asking questions about the machine, they will take Vanoss away! I can’t let that happen!” Jonathan threw his pen down, feeling bad when it knocked over one of his tiny robots. He picked it back up, checking to make sure it hadn’t been damaged.

“What would you do if I disappeared? If I was put into a machine?” Luke demanded.

“Luke don't say that. That would never happen.” Jonathan sighed, regretting how angry he sounded.

“Because I’m from New Town! Because I’m friends with you! You don't have to worry about me.” Luke snapped.

“Luke! Shut up!” Luke went silent, staring at Jonathan with wide eyes through the screen. 

 “Has Vanoss replaced me?” Luke asked after a few moments of silence. The words hurt Jonathan. He couldn't look at Luke’s sad face on the screen. “Has it achieved it’s goal?”

“No. Why would you say that? You are my best friend. I worry about you! If something happened to you, I would do anything to find out what it was and how to help you.” Jonathan explained, looking up at the screen. He couldn't admit that he cared for Vanoss-III as if the machine was his friend too.

“I want to help Vanoss-III and you should too.” Luke said with determination. “I want to know what the hell that machine actually is. A New Towner’s life is not worth more than an Old Towner's, Jonathan.”

“I know.” Jonathan nodded. He had said those words before when the news of a riot that resulted in the deaths of over a hundred people reached New Town. “I still don't think it's a consciousness from a person though. Possibly it’s fabricated.”

“Or it’s a consciousness taken from one of these people. Could be Brian, Anthony or Evan or anyone else on this list.” Luke suggested.

“Oh my God! It is not stolen consciousness! That is not possible!” The debate went long into the night, their fight over being replaced and equations forgotten.

Days turned into weeks which turned into months. The days got colder and shorter. Of all the things they could control in New Town, the weather was not one of them. Snow covered the glass buildings and stopped the fires in Old Town if only for a little bit. Jonathan loved this time of year, the air no longer smelling of smoke.

As the Holiday season neared, Jonathan started to look forward to a break from school. He brought Vanoss-III everywhere with him now, talking with the machine whenever he could. He didn't want to admit it to Luke but he cared for the machine, more than he ever could've thought. Luke still asked him if Vanoss had replaced him and every time Jonathan would say no. He wasn't lying but sometimes it felt like he was.

Jonathan hated to admit that he was content with not trying to figure out what Vanoss-III was. He was safe and so was Luke. Vanoss-III didn't seem distressed about being a machine, liking to talk and listen to Jonathan who showed Vanoss-III all the wonderful things in the world.

“See! It’s snowing!” Jonathan stood in the school courtyard, holding Vanoss-III gently in his mitten covered hands.

“Snow?” Vanoss-III repeated. “All I see white.” The machines red light glowed against the white surface of the snow. “Is that snow?”

“Yeah!” Jonathan smiled. “I wish you could really see it. See the snowflakes and feel the cold wind. It’s more than just a colour and light.”

“Hey look. The fucker is talking with his machine again.” The aggressive voice sent chills through Jonathan as he turned to see Sark and his gang walking towards him, all of them dressed in the same blue uniform as Jonathan.

“Screw off.” Jonathan warned, his grip on the Vanoss-III tightening. 

“I just wanna see what cool gadget you got this time. Your daddy makes the most incredible and stupid machines. This Vanoss-III takes the cake though. Taking the human out of our society is quite a goal for a machine. Surprised that Old Town hasn’t lost it yet over this thing.” Sark grabbed Vanoss-III out of Jonathan's hands, turning it over in his hands. Vanoss-III wasn't talking, as if it was too scared to. “What does it do? Nothing cool?”

“Give it back!” Jonathan yelled.

“I’ll give it back when you tell me how this thing works.” Sark demanded. Jonathan sighed, still reaching for Vanoss-III.

“You talk to it and it talks back. Please just give it back!” Jonathan cried.

“You talk to it? Alright...Hello Vanoss-III.” Sark waited for it to reply but it didn't. “What's the joke? It’s not talking. Make it talk!”

“Maybe Vanoss doesn't want to!” Jonathan snapped.

“Doesn't want to? It’s a machine! It doesn't want anything! It doesn't know what that means.” Sark laughed. “What a piece of garbage.” He threw Vanoss-III to the snow, watching it skid across the icy surface before it come to a stop. “Tell me when your dad comes up with something cool.” The group of laughing boys left the courtyard as Jonathan scrambled towards Vanoss-III, picking up the machine gently. The white owl on the back was scratched and the screen looked cracked.

“Vanoss? Vanoss-III! Vanoss say something please!” Jonathan panicked.

“I don't like that guy.” Vanoss-III said after a moment. Jonathan sighed in relief, holding the small machine close as if hugging it. “Jonathan, what's wrong? I’m okay.”

“I know...I was just worried...I thought he broke you.” Jonathan stood up, glancing around the courtyard at the falling snow. “I can fix the crack on the screen. Don't worry.”

“Are you okay?” Vanoss-III asked, sounding concerned. Jonathan was taken aback, staring at it with wide eyes.

“You are asking me if I’m okay?” Jonathan repeated.

“Is that bad?”

“No! I just...machines that talk don't normally do that.” Jonathan explained. “I’m okay.” Jonathan answered.

“Good. I was worried.” Vanoss said, surprising Jonathan even more.

“You know what that means?”

“It means I care.”

 

Jonathan laid in his bed, staring at the window across the room. The lights of the city shone through the glass in a rainbow of colour. The brightest colour was red, coming from Vanoss-III beside him.

There were so many questions, so many things he couldn't understand about Vanoss-III. Where did the voice come from? Why did the machine understand emotion? Understand love and hate.

“I remember smoke.” Vanoss-III broke the silence, startling Jonathan. He didn't say anything, wanting to see if it would continue. “I remember flames. I remember yelling and bright colours like shooting stars flying overhead that would erupt into flames when they hit their target...I remember someone running at me, leading me through the screaming crowd. I think I know them, know them well enough to trust that they won't hurt me. I don't remember much else after that but I remember seeing red. Red everywhere...” Vanoss-III trailed off. Jonathan was silent in shock. The machine had described a memory that it should not have.

“You said you didn't remember anything before this, before me.” Jonathan finally managed to say.

“I don't...but the more I think about it...the more things start to come to me.” Vanoss-III admitted. “Is that normal? For memories and thoughts...to just come to you?” Jonathan sat up, holding Vanoss-III gently.

“Machines don't normally have memories at all but you are different.”

“Is that bad?”

“No.”

“Oh...I thought it was...Machines thinking for themselves sounds dangerous.” Vanoss-III mused. Jonathan remembered what his father had said in his rage, fearing that Vanoss had heard yet the way the machine spoke made it seem like the thought had been thought up on it’s own.

Jonathan wondered if Vanoss was right. If his father was right as much as he hated to admit it. He liked the way Vanoss said it more. As if a thinking machine would be dangerous for those who feared it, who feared their world being changed such as the New Towners. Vanoss spoke like a rioting Old Towner fighting for revolution.

“Are you saying that you aren’t a machine?” Jonathan asked, staring down at the glowing red owl on the screen.

“I don’t feel like one. I remember things. I can see things even though they may just be light...I can sense things and I understand things. Do machines do that, do they Jonathan?” Vanoss-III asked, sounding more demanding than it’s usual gentle, curious tone.

“No. They don’t. That’s what makes you so interesting.” Jonathan smiled. Vanoss-III didn’t answer. “I mean that in a good way.”

“You wanted to destroy me at first though...Didn’t you?” Vanoss-III's voice sounded hurt.

“I didn’t understand you. I still don't but I couldn't do that now.” Jonathan sighed. “I’ve talked to hundreds of machines and robots and none of them are like you. None of them talk like you. None of them ask questions like you. None of them think the city is beautiful even if all they see is lights because they don’t know what beautiful even means. What makes you so different, Vanoss?”

“I kno-”

“No. You don’t have to answer that. How could you answer it?” Jonathan laid back in bed, reaching to turn Vanoss-III off. “I need to get some sleep. Goodnight.”

“Wait. I know why.” Vanoss-III stopped him. Jonathan paused, waiting for Vanoss to explain. “You had told me my name is Vanoss-III, and I accepted it because I couldn’t remember that I have a name. I do now. My name isn't Vanoss. It’s Evan.”

“Evan?” Jonathan repeated. It seemed fitting to the soft voice. He remembered one of the names that Luke had read off that list but he pushed it away, denying the idea even now. 

“Machines don't have names like that...do they?”


	3. Chapter 3

Jonathan hated it when Luke gloated. Yet at the same time, it made him happy to see his friend so happy, talking excitedly and repeating how he had told him so.

Jonathan sat on his bed, watching Luke brag about how he was right all along, dancing around Jonathan’s bedroom with victorious joy. Vanoss-III, aka Evan as Jonathan was trying to remind himself, was held tightly in his hands, not letting Luke hold the machine. It felt wrong to Jonathan to be calling Evan a ‘machine.’ He wasn’t. He was a consciousness with an awareness and memories of his own. As happy as Jonathan was to see Luke so happy, he couldn't help but feel nervous thinking about this meant, to be holding a consciousness in his hands.  

“It’s like you're holding someone’s life in your hands! Everything that has ever happened to them all there in  your hands!” Luke cried, sitting down beside Jonathan.

“Don’t say that.” Jonathan cringed. He had been reluctant to call Luke, fearing that he would tell someone. He wouldn’t tell him over the call what was going on, waiting till he got there and Jonathan had closed the door before telling him.

“What should we do? We can’t tell your dad eh?”

“No. He’d destroy Vanoss-III...I mean, Evan, in a heartbeat. A thinking machine. That’d be catastrophic to him and to everyone in New Town who relies on machines.” Jonathan said, looking down at Vanoss-III. “I don’t know what to do. I could just...not do anything. But how could I let Evan live like this now that I know he really is conscious? That he is awake!”

“How do you know that the real Evan is dead? Maybe we should find his friends, figure out what happened to Evan and let the people who know him best decide!” Luke suggested.

“Are you suggesting that this Evan is just a copy? Not only are we not able to do that but Evan seems too real to be a copy even if we could copy people’s minds. Though, he hardly remembers anything. That’s what is so strange. He remembers things...slowly but they come to him. Important things, I guess. Things that you would think about a lot. Like a name for example. Maybe something happened to him before all of this that made him lose them. Or maybe it was the process of creating the whole thing.” Jonathan wanted to turn the device on and ask Evan himself how he would explain it but he decided not to.

“Well copy or not, we have a name. That same name was in that article I read! Remember! We can research this guy, find where he is from and go there!

“What if he is from Old Town?” Jonathan looked nervously to his large window, seeing the smoke rising on the horizon. “We can’t go to Old Town!”

“Not even for Evan?” Luke pouted. “Come on! This could be something huge! You are just going to let it slip away because he might be from Old Town?”

“People from New Town who go there never come back, Luke! They get killed! Held hostage to try be used as bargaining chips!” Jonathan cried.

“We would be going to help them! To help Evan! Technically, we’re on their side!” Luke protested.

“That isn’t how this works! We can't go across the cheek point into Old Town and say ‘hi yes we found one of your friends. He’s a machine now but still alive thanks to New Town technology!’” Jonathan mocked him. “No! Fuck no! If and if we get into Old Town, then people are gonna be after us simply because we are New Towners! It doesn't matter our intentions! They’ll see Vanoss-III and destroy Evan!” Jonathan yelled, getting up off the bed, walking over to the window as he tried to calm himself down.

Luke picked up the Vanoss-III, looking down at the owl design on the back. They were silent for awhile, thinking of what to say and do.

“Evan can’t live like this.” Luke said quietly, now holding Vanoss-III in his hands. “This is not a life.  If we leave him like this, it’s gonna be on my head the rest of my life. I’m going to be thinking about how we could have helped him or if we ever could have found out what happened to him. All because you were too scared to go across the checkpoint into Old Town.” Luke snapped. Jonathan sighed, slouching down into his desk chair.

“So what do we do?”

“Off to school now.” Jonathan's father said from the door like he always did. With fear of what he had to do running through him, Jonathan pushed his chair away from the large white desk, keeping his eyes on the robot across from him who stared back blankly. He tucked the chair in, turning slowly as he picked up his backpack, walking towards his door where his father was. He stopped, opening his bag as if he was looking for something he had lost.

“Wait...I think left my math tablet in your office. May I go get it?” Jonathan asked, looking up at his father who stared down at him.

“Forgetfulness is not a good trait. Why did you forget it?” His father demanded.

“I was talking with my friend. Vanoss-III.” Jonathan admitted, acting guilty for his mistake. His father didn't react, continuing to stare down at him. “The machine you made for me.” He tried to remind him when he didn’t react. “I’m sorry, father. It won’t happen again.” Jonathan quickly apologized, knowing that was what his father wanted to hear.

“Be quick about it. You don't want to be late.” His father ordered. Jonathan nodded, running down the hallway, up the white stairs to the large office.  His math tablet in his bag felt heavy as he hurried up the stairs, glancing over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t followed.

As he pushed the button, the door to the office slid open with the sound of gears. He pulled his math tablet out of his bag, setting it down on the desk as he reached the cabinet system behind the desk. One was full of details on all the machines. He looked for Vanoss-III first, pulling open the drawer to look through the tablets but found nothing. There was not even a single design file. He searched again but found nothing.

With a sigh, he pushed the drawer back in and went to the next which had information on the people working for his father, in New and Old Town factories.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway, fear running through him as he searched through the names. Evan had to be there, searching through the glowing blue information tablets.

“Jonathan! Have you found your math tablet yet? You are going to be late!” His father called, sounding annoyed. Fear ran through him, making him freeze up for a moment before regaining himself. He pushed the tablets back, going through names in search of Evan. He saw the name, pulling out the tablet to look at it, but the details were wrong, the worker from New Town. In his panic, the tablet fell from his hands, skidding across the white floor. He dropped to his knees, scrambling to pick up the tablet and put it back into it’s proper place.

“One minute!” Jonathan called back. He got to the ‘F’ section, now frantic in his search. He wished that he had asked Evan if he could remember his last name, but he didn’t have the time to ask.

“Jonathan!” The panic rose in Jonathan as he went through the last names, his eyes landing on the name, Evan Fong from Old Town. He froze, taking the information tablet out of the drawer. He skimmed his eyes over the tablet, hearing the door button being pressed. Jonathan stuffed the tablet into his bag, grabbing his math tablet and forgot to close the drawer as he ran towards the door.“Jonathan. What are you doing?” His father snapped as the door slid open.

“I found it! On my way now!” Jonathan smiled, slipping past him into the hallway, leaving his father to glance uncertainly into the office as if looking for something out of place such as a drawer left slightly ajar.

“Fong, Evan. Twenty three years old. Factory worker since the age of seventeen. That sounds awful. I can’t imagine working in one of those places.” Luke admitted. “Where did you get this?” Luke swiped the screen of the info tablet on Evan, new information flashing up on the glowing blue screen.

“In my dad’s office. We needed information on Evan like you said so I got it.” Jonathan shrugged. “Is that him?” He pointed to the picture on the screen which showed the young man with dark hair and eyes. Jonathan thought that he fit the voice he heard through the Vanoss-III. Beautiful, his eyes looking like how his voice sounded. Beautiful, full of kindness and wonder of the world and every beautiful thing it had to offer.

“Yeah. We should check this information with Evan to make sure it’s right.” Luke suggested, pretending to not notice the dreamy look on Jonathan’s face.

“Hmm? Oh...yeah sure.” Jonathan nodded, taking the device out of his bag. Jonathan pressed the power button, turning it on. The red owl flashed to life, Evan’s confused voice filling their ears.

“I’ll never get used to that.” Evan said softly, the red light flashing as he spoke.

“Evan. We found a file...On you, we believe.” Jonathan said, looking over the file he held in his other hand. “Do you remember working in a factory?” Evan was silent for a few moments, the red light dimming in the silence.

“I remember...Noises. Harsh noises. Metal on metal and gears. Sparks and heat. I think that I did.” Evan thought aloud.

“But why would he be picked to put into this machine though if he was a good worker? He worked in one of your dad’s factories. He was useful. How could he just be randomly chosen?” Luke asked as if the Vanoss-III was off and Evan couldn’t hear him.

“Maybe just that. Randomly chosen. He wasn’t lucky.” Jonathan said softly.

“What do you mean?” Evan asked sharply. “What are you talking about?” His voice rose, sounding panicked. “What do you mean; I wasn’t lucky? I’m still here! I’m not hurt! I’m alive!”

“You are! We aren’t saying that you aren’t alive or that you were hurt. We’re just saying that there must be a reason that this happened.” Jonathan tried to explain himself. “You’re okay, Evan! You’re okay.” Jonathan repeated as he turned the Vanoss-III off, not wanting to hear the fear in his voice. “What do we do, Luke? If we stay here, we will never know what happened to Evan but...but at least we will be alive and safe! Old Town is dangerous. We might die in the process of trying to find out what happened to him because of the riots...because we are from New Town. If we die...what happens to Vanoss-III? What happens to Evan? What if he lives on if the Vanoss-III is turned on, unable to talk to anyone or see any beautiful lights? And what if it’s turned off? He can’t stop someone from destroying him!”

“Jonathan. You’re freaking out.” Luke said quietly and calmly. “We’ll figure this out!” Jonathan sighed, looking down at his polished shoes. “We have his name. We can find who he is associated with. His friends and family. They’ll take Evan back and help him! We’ll be there and back in a flash! Don’t you worry!” Luke said with a smile. “It’s going to be okay.”

They spent hours researching, trying to find a name connected to Evan. First they would ask Evan himself for anything he could remember. When he couldn't think of anything, they turned to searching up his name and seeing what came up. From the file that Jonathan had taken from his father, they discovered that almost all of Evan's family was dead or missing so there was no point in looking for them. Jonathan expected this, having seen the stats that came in from Old Town and the violence that the numbers resulted from.

Jonathan laid on his bed, going through the Information tablet again while Luke sat at his desk, tapping his fingers against the top of the metal desk. Jonathan swiped to the next set of information, a video file flash onto the screen. Below it was a letter from the Old Town police chief put in charge by New Town’s government, that sent chills through Jonathan.

“Evan Fong is becoming too much of a problem in Old Town and we have reason to believe that he is a leader among the Replaced for rebellion. The video file we have sent was taken during the last riot is of said Evan Fong, leading a group of rebellious, violent Replaced in an attack on police. He destroyed one of our valuable machines. The footage is disturbing, showing him destroying one of our machines.” Jonathan read the words aloud, catching Luke’s attention. “Terminate him at once or we will have to take more violent action to solve the problem ourselves.” The words send chills through Jonathan. Maybe this was what made them choose Evan for the Vanoss-III. What could be worse for a Replaced than becoming a machine?

“Play it!” Luke sat down on the bed beside him, tapping the screen to play the video.

The footage was blurry, the camera shaking in the filmer’s hands as they pushed through a massive crowd that screamed and yelled as smoke bombs flew overhead, the white choking smoke filling the air.

The cameraman got near the front, turning so the camera could get a view of the front of the crowd. A tall dark blonde haired man with a black bandana tied around his face,  wielded a baton. The blonde flashed the middle finger at him as another young man who could only be Evan, fired the flare gun in his hand at the advancing police machine. Red smoke and sparks exploded near the cameraman, making them jump and panic to get away from the sparks and the police.

Evan took the baton from the blonde, the two of them sharing a trusting glance before Evan and the crowd ran forward. Jonathan saw that look that Evan and the blonde in the video shared, wanting to go back and see it again. Jonathan imagined that the Evan he knew would have that same look sometimes when talking to Jonathan, especially after Sark decided to try to break Vanoss-III. His attention was taken back to the video as the screaming and yelling got louder.

“We will not let your mechanical hell rule us!” Someone screamed in the crowd  as gunshots drowned out the noise of the yelling. Jonathan watched in awe as Evan ran forward and brought the metal bat in his hand down on one of the machines, striking for the vulnerable neck area on the machine as if he knew that would destroy the machine.With two more hits, the head of the machine flew off, sparks flying around Evan as two police machines grabbed him and forced him to the ground out of view as the crowd continued to surge forward. Jonathan fought back the gasp of horror at the sight of Evan being taken down by the machines, the last of him being his deep, beautiful red jacket that rippled as he was thrown to the ground.

“Did...Did they kill him?” Luke whispered as the video stopped.

“No...Those types of Police machines aren't programmed to do that. They are just riot police. Not military police. They must have just arrested him but who knows what happened to him afterwards.” Jonathan whispered, finding himself reaching for Vanoss-III and holding the machine close as if it would bring comfort to Evan and himself.

“Did you see that blonde guy beside him? Maybe he knows him! Does it say who else in the video?” Luke asked, taking the information tablet from him.

“It doesn't work like that, Luke! It's not like in New Town where we know everyone. I bet in Old Town, when there is a riot, you end up with whoever can help you and it doesn't matter who they are. It must be so tragic over there...You couldn't get really close to anyone for fear of them ending up dead.” Jonathan said quietly to himself. Luke wasn't listening, going through the pages in the information tablet.

“Nothing! Let's just ask him. See what he can remember.” Luke sighed, setting the tablet down. Jonathan turned the Vanoss-III on, watching the red owl flicker to life.

“I won't be able to get used to that.” Evan said after a moment. Jonathan noticed that he was always saying the same thing, as if shocked by the same thing every time.

“Get used to what?” Jonathan asked.

“When you turn me off, it feels like time just...stops. Like falling into a deep sleep but I don't know when it's coming. Time just slips away from me, then it comes back so suddenly.” Evan explained, sounding sad.

“Listen, Evan. We don't want to stress you out more...but we were wondering if you could remember any of your friends. Best friends.” Jonathan set the Vanoss-III down on the bed between him and Luke. Evan was quiet for a long time, the red owl on the screen darkening. “Someone easy to remember.”

“I remember… someone tall. Taller than me so I think that's pretty tall. And I remember blonde hair...and blueish...maybe green eyes. There were others...two others...I can't… I can't remember them.” Evan struggled. “I want to remember so badly. I’m sorry that's probably useless.”

“No. We found a video of you. You are with someone who is just like how you described! All we need is a name.” Luke said excitedly. “Easy!”

Yet a name was not to be found. Days passed, their homework and social lives neglected in search of a name but they couldn't find anything. Jonathan was too nervous to go try to search his father’s office again for another file, so he watched and rewatched the video over and over again, listening for a name. All he heard was screaming, gunshots, and the cracking as Evan bashed the machine to bits.

It was so strange for Jonathan to see this person that was supposed to be Evan. He did not know this person. Knew nothing about him. He knew Vanoss-III, could only picture him as a voice. To see him as a person, a person who was destroying machines and getting taken down by police machines, was unsettling. What was more unsettling was that Evan couldn’t recognize this person either.

Pushing these thoughts away, Jonathan continued to try to find the name of Evan's friend. He couldn't help but wonder if they were doing all this work for nothing. Old Towners are rash and violent. At least, that was what he had heard from his father. So how could they accept Evan now in this New Town form even if it wasn’t his choice?

“Do you think it’s worth it?” Jonathan asked Luke at lunch, a few days into their search. “I know what I said, don't try to turn that on me. What I’m saying is what if we do all this and get to Old Town and it’s all for nothing? They don't want Evan back because he has become a machine. What if that happens? Then what?”

“Evan is still their friend. If they care about him, they will want him back. Machine or not.” Luke said firmly.

“What if they think that it isn't the real Evan? Like you said what if he is a copy?” Jonathan cried. “What if they don't believe us?”

“They will believe us. Vanoss-III is Evan no matter what. They cannot deny that.” Luke snapped and that was the end of it.

Sleeping became harder for Jonathan, his mind full of all the possible scenarios they might encounter. He thought about the riots and the violence and the hatred towards New Town. He thought about Evan’s friends he couldn't remember and the possibility that they would say no, and how sad Evan would be.

It was during one of these nights when Jonathan was woken from his doze by the soft sound of whispering. He had fallen asleep talking to Evan, not realising it until he was woken up by Evan’s voice. He wasn’t talking to Jonathan but to himself, his voice quiet as if not to wake Jonathan.

“T...T...Tony...T...Tray...No. That’s not it. T...T…” He kept repeating the letter as if it was going to give him the answer he was looking for. “T...Ty...Tay...T...Ty...That sounds better. Ty...Ty...T…” Evan kept  repeating.

“E-Evan? What are you doing?” Jonathan yawned, rubbing his eyes as he focused on the glowing red owl on the screen.

“You said you need a name and you haven’t found it yet. I’m trying to remember. To...To help you.” Evan explained, his voice sounding sad. He seemed reluctant to help.

“Evan you don't have to. We’ll find your friends eventually. If it’s too hard for you, it's okay.” Jonathan said softly.

“No. The sooner you find them the better. You want to get rid of me. Abandon me because you don't know how to deal with me.” Evan said quickly, as if nervous to say it.

“Where did you get that idea? Evan we are trying to help you! You were taken from your home and we are trying to get you back!” Jonathan snapped, sitting up to glare down at the glowing red machine.

“I can't remember my life before this! It comes in flashes and goes again like the lights of the city! I can't see anything else, Jonathan! I am not who I was before! This is my life now! In a fucking God forsaken machine! I can't do my job anymore! I can't  hug my best friends anymore or see them laugh or smile! How can you think that returning me to them like this is going to fix everything? I am everything that is wrong in this world! How can Tyler accept me like this?” Evan yelled, the red owl lighting up brighter than it ever had. Evan and Jonathan went silent when Evan said the name, realising what he had just done. “Tyler.” Evan said again. “Tyler. Oh no...Tyler.”

“That’s your friend’s name...isn’t it?” Jonathan sighed.

“Please. Please don't do this. Who knows what will happen. They might kill you. They might turn me away. Destroy me! Jonathan, please!” Evan begged, his voice full of fear and pleading. “Don’t do this.” Jonathan closed his eyes, feeling tears of anger and confusion well up. He hated New Town, hated his father for creating such a machine. Hated Old Town for hating New Town. He was angry at himself for caring so much about Evan to be reluctant to help him, to return him to his home. He was angry that the creator of Vanoss-III had taken Evan’s memories. Had taken Evan. With all of these things running through him, there was only one thing he could do.

“Evan. I have to do what is right.”


	4. Chapter 4

The snowflakes falling from the smoke filled sky were so perfect they could have be programmed to be that way. They covered the New Town streets in a soft white blanket. The gentleness of the snow made Jonathan want to go back home where he was safe. He wanted to show Vanoss-III, Evan, how beautiful it was but instead, he was on the back of Luke’s motorbike, holding a messenger bag with Vanoss-III inside as they drove through the near silent glowing streets. The tall shining blue towers lined the streets, raising up to the sky as if building their buildings higher would get the people of New Town closer to Heaven than they already were.

Jonathan looked up at the towers and the airships above him, the stars shining beyond the glowing lights of the city. He was constantly wondering if he had made the right choice. He told Evan it was right. Told Luke it was right. Yet he couldn't convince himself that it was. Evan had sounded so scared. He didn't want to go back to Old Town. He couldn't remember his life there yet Jonathan was forcing him too. The nagging thoughts in his mind wouldn't leave him, tagging along for the ride to Old Town.

The closer they got, the oranger the sky became, the air thick with smoke. The sound of Luke’s motorbike echoed loudly on the streets, making Jonathan nervous that they would be caught.

“Is that the checkpoint?” Luke called over the roar of the engine, pointing to the tall wall and gate that blocked the road. No one except government vehicles went through, needing only two, at the most three guards on the New Town side. The other side was a different story, heavily armed, both riot and military police machines guarding the checkpoint. On the New Town side, the checkpoint was lined with office buildings that were no more than twenty stories, fire escapes going up the sides that they would have to climb to cross the checkpoint without being seen. No one in New Town wanted to go to Old Town so there was little chance they’d be caught. They were more nervous about what they would find on the other side.

“Yeah. Let’s leave the bike a few blocks down.” Jonathan said as they turned onto a quiet street. Luke found a discarded tarp by a garbage heap, Jonathan helping him pull the tarp over the bike. They hoped it would still be there when they got back. Jonathan looked back at the tarp with the bike hidden underneath before hurrying after Luke, pulling his hood over his head.

They were dressed in dark clothes, finding the least nicest clothes they had which as New Towners, was a very hard thing to do. Everything that Jonathan owned was expensive. He hated that his shoes were reflecting the street lamp light because of how polished they were. They had never been through mud or worn down from wear. They shone like they were made yesterday.

“Our shoes are gonna give us away.” Jonathan whispered as they reached one of the tall buildings. They could see the checkpoint farther down, the few guards leaning idly against the wall with their gun held loosely in their hands.

“No one is gonna notice our shoes. Relax.” Luke pulled the fire escape ladder down, motioning for Jonathan to go first. “Now come on. We don't have all night and I’d like to be home by tomorrow. We got that test in Physics.” Luke reminded Jonathan who groaned.

“Don’t remind me.” Jonathan sighed, pulling himself up onto the first metal balcony, the fire escape continuing up to the roof where they would find a way to get down to the other side which was Old Town. “You really think we’ll be back by tomorrow?”

“Of course we’ll be back by tomorrow. Keep climbing.” Luke led the way up the cold metal fire escape. Jonathan's gloved hands went numb, holding on to the frozen metal that didn't feel very sturdy as he climbed it. He told himself not to look down, keeping his eyes focused on the top as he followed Luke up the ladder.

When they got to the top, Jonathan found himself staring at the glowing, towering structures of New Town. The snow was falling peacefully over the robotic city, perfect down the last bit of wiring in a pet machine. He wanted to take Vanoss-III out of his bag and show Evan how beautiful it was. He reached to open the bag when Luke’s shocked voice caught his attention. “Holy shit. Oh my fucking God.” Luke said from behind him, sounding horrified. “We made a mistake.” If New Town was heaven, Jonathan did not want to turn around and see what hell looked like.

He forced himself to turn, holding onto his messenger bag tightly. He was glad he hadn’t taken Vanoss-III out of the bag. He didn't want Evan to see this. Smoke rose into the sky in thick black columns, a mass of dark buildings with only the occasional light on spread out before them. Some of the buildings were ruins, hollowed out by fire. The buildings were connected by bridges made from whatever could be found, probably used to get above the police and move quickly throughout the city. Factory smoke stacks threw white chemical filled smoke into the air that mixed with the black smoke that came from the burning rubble. They could hear voices, not the polite ones of New Town full of scientific words and proper manners but aggressive, slurred, and coarse voices. The ones that screamed themselves hoarse during riots. There was no perfect snowflakes, no blankets of snow. The streets were muddy. The snow was wet, cold chills running through Jonathan. There was no light. There was no beauty in Old Town.

“They don't tell you about this in New Town. You see it from far away it's just smoke. That's all Old Town is to us. It’s smoke. Now here...it's more than that.” Jonathan breathed, staring at the city before him. There were no tall towers like in New Town. The buildings that lined the streets reminding him of the pictures of Paris from over a hundred years ago with every building looking the same, tall windows and dusty looking walls with domed gray roofs. Yet unlike Paris, they were not well kept; falling apart and in disarray. Not romantic at all.

“Come on. There is a bridge right there.” Luke was at the edge of the roof, pointing the bridge two stories below that went over the street to the next building. “Let's find Tyler and get the hell out of here.” Jonathan nodded, following Luke’s lead. He watched nervously as Luke dropped to the bridge, wincing at the loud bang as he hit the bridge. He held up his arms to catch Jonathan as he did the same, holding onto the bag with Vanoss-III inside tightly. Luke caught him, helping him steady himself before continuing across the makeshift bridge into the building on the other side.

Jonathan had never been in such a loud place before. It was full of people, a bar full of battered Replaced taking a much needed break. Some seemed to be joyful, taking advantage of the peace while others continued to preach their anger, yelling about New Town and the amount of people who had gone missing, others were content to drink and listen. Jonathan kept his eyes down while Luke had the courage to ask a young woman if she knew Tyler. “

Who's asking?” She asked, brushing her long dark hair out of her face.

“A friend of his. I might know where his friend, Evan, went.” Luke said as Old Town-ish as he could, trying to make his voice sound gruff. Jonathan hid his smile at Luke’s attempt to deepen his voice, content with looking around the bar at all the people there. They were really people. Not the savages his father made them out to be.

“Evan is one of our top guys. I only met him once but I’ve heard so much about him.” The woman smiled. “Very kind. He wants the best for everyone you know but he ain’t afraid to get violent. I heard he knocked the head off one of them police robots.” She said with wide eyes.

“Yeah? That uh...sounds like him. I’m looking for Tyler though. Can you tell me where I can find him?” Luke asked again.

“Oh yeah. I heard him and Evan would normally be by the big bridge that used to connect Old Town with the city across the river. Don't use that bridge no more. No one goes over it anymore. There is an apartment building under it though. You can find Tyler there.” She smiled. “My name is Berenice by the way. You are?”

“Luke.” He smiled, reaching to pull on the strap on Jonathan's bag so they could go, the dim light of the bar reflecting off their polished shoes.

“Those are some mighty fine shoes you got there, Luke.” Berenice’s tone had changed, watching him closely. “I haven't seen shoes so polished before. Why, you both have them.” Luke glanced at Jonathan, not sure of what to say.

“We found em near the checkpoint. Those Goddamn New Towners think they can throw their trash here.” Jonathan snapped, adapting the tone of the Old Towners around them. “They sure are comfy though for things that came from such a place.”

“Yeah...I bet.” Berenice said quietly, glancing around the bar.

“We’ll see you around.” Jonathan grabbed Luke’s arm, pushing their way out of the bar. “I told you.” Jonathan snapped when they reached a set of old wooden spiral steps, worn down from people walking up and down them. “People don't look at shoes. Fucking hell!” Jonathan snapped when they reached a small landing and another bridge to head across the next street which was busy with people. Small stores were open, vendors calling out, voices laughing and yelling, music floating up to them. There were others on the bridge, glancing at them as they went by quickly.

“Oh come on! Shoes aren't gonna get us killed. We look the part and you can talk the part. I think you should do all the talking from now on. You know Evan the best out of the both of us. You know this new Evan the best out of anyone.” Luke kept his voice quiet as they walked across the bridge and along the next building as if the bridge was an elevated sidewalk. “Let's just find that old bridge and get the hell out of here. This place scares me.”

“You’re scared? How do you think I feel? I’m the one carrying Vanoss-III! Someone looks in my bag and we’re done for.” Jonathan spat. He glanced over his shoulder, noticing a group of men a fair distance behind them. They kept pace, stopping when Jonathan turned to look at them. “Fuck. Our shoes are gonna get us killed.” Jonathan walked faster, forcing Luke to catch up with him.

“We need to stop and ask Evan if he remembers where the bridge is.” Luke whispered, glancing back at the gang that was still following them.

“We can't stop.” Jonathan hissed, feeling panicked as he glanced over his shoulder again. “They are gonna catch up to us and I don't think I can talk myself out of that one.” They headed down a set of wooden stairs onto another elevated walkway, more than five stories above the busy street.

“Then how are we supposed to find the bridge?” Luke spat. Jonathan sighed, quickly ducking into one of the buildings. It was an apartment building, some people leaning against the walls or sleeping on the stair cases. It seemed that since the bridges connected all the buildings, making them so open, anyone could find a place to sleep anywhere.

Jonathan and Luke ducked into the main staircase, trying to remain unnoticed as Jonathan reached into his bag for the Vanoss-III. Luke covered Jonathan and the Vanoss-III from view, keeping his eyes out for the gang that had been following them. The red owl glowed as it turned on, both of them waiting for Evan's voice.

“J-Jonathan? Where are we? What’s going on?” Evan asked, the panic rising in his voice.

“We’re in Old Town. I’m sorry but we need you to remember where the old bridge is that went out of Old Town across the river. You used to live near there. Can you remember where it is?” Jonathan said quickly. “We don't have much time.”

“I...I don't know. I can remember the bridge. It’s tall, and when it snows it has icicles that are long and sharp enough to kill someone if they fell. It’s dark...built of metal and wire. There is a street that goes under it and-”

“Dirty fucking New Towners.” The voice snarled, startling Luke and Jonathan. He looked up with wide eyes at the gang of men that surrounded them, their clothes dirty, their expressions angry. Jonathan could have sworn there was blood stained on a few of them.

“What kind of hellish device is that? The next thing that is going to kill us all?” The leader of the group growled, stepping towards them. Luke had been paying attention to Evan, caught off guard by the gang. He glanced apologetically at Jonathan who was staring around them at the group with wide eyes.

“You had better back the fuck off.” Luke snarled. “If you kill a New Towner...well who knows what would happen to you.”

“Of course you’d say that. But you ain’t in your safe sparklin’ New Town anymore. You are in Old Town. We aren’t scared of you and your machines.” The man smiled, his teeth dirty and cracked.

“We aren't here to hurt people. We’re here to help. We want to help.” Jonathan cried.

“You don't want anything to do with us. You don't know nothin bout us. We don't need you.” Another spat at their feet. They stared at each other for several long tense moments, waiting for someone to make the first move.

It was Jonathan who moved first, moving quickly through the gap between two of the men and ran back up the stairs, Luke pushing them aside and ran after Jonathan.

“Get those bastards!” One of the men yelled, the group giving chase. Jonathan ran up the stairs back to the bridge, glancing over his shoulder to see that Luke was still with him.

“We’re so screwed! We aren't armed!” Luke cried as they ran across the bridge and along the walkway. “We’re going back the way we came!”

“I know!” Jonathan cried. At the next building, they ran inside and down the hallway to another bridge which creaked and groaned under their feet as they ran across it.

“Jonathan!” Evan cried, reminding him that Vanoss-III was still on, held tight in his hands. “What is going on?”

“How do we avoid getting killed by Old Towners?” Jonathan breathed heavily, his words coming out in gasps as he crossed the bridge. Before Evan could answer, Jonathan was caught by one of the men, throwing him to the wooden floor of the bridge. Luke was suddenly there, pushing the man off Jonathan, a flash of silver and the ringing of metal catching Jonathan's dazed attention. Luke had found a piece of metal in a pile of debri, wielding it like a knife to fight off the man. Blood splattered onto the bridge, Jonathan's eyes closed tightly as Luke pulled him to his feet.

They continued across the bridge, several stories above the busy street. Across the bridge, a young dark haired man leaned against the railing, watching them and the men that chased them. “Help! Help us!” Jonathan called out to the man but he didn't move as Luke ran past, Jonathan struggling to keep up. His feet were kicked out from under him, sending him falling to the hard wooden surface. His chin hit the bridge, tasting blood in his mouth as his teeth bit into his tongue. The fall had knocked Vanoss-III from his hands, the small tablet skidding dangerously close to the edge. “Evan!” Jonathan screamed, reaching for the device as it tottered towards the edge. His fingers grazed the matte side of the Vanoss-III, reaching desperately for the machine. The men grabbed Jonathan’s ankles, dragging him back from the edge and the Vanoss-III. “No! Evan! Luke!” Jonathan screamed, rolling to his back to block a punch from one of the men.

A knife flew through the air above Jonathan, striking one of the men square in the chest. He fell back to the bridge, the other men looking up as someone jumped over Jonathan, pulling the knife out of the man’s chest and attacked the next one,throwing him over the railing to the street below. Jonathan watched with wide eyes as the young dark haired man fought the men, now defending him when just moments before it seemed that he was going to stand by and watch. Jonathan scrambled backwards, his hands reaching for the Vanoss-III.

“Jonathan?” Evan stammered, sounding scared and confused. Luke had ran back, now helping Jonathan help. The young man turned back to the two of them for a quick moment, ducking to avoid a blow to the jaw.

“Run!” The young man yelled at them. They didn't need a second order, sprinting down the walkway. They turned into one of the buildings, pushing past people as they headed towards the next bridge.

“Who the fuck was that?” Luke cried, out of breath.

“I don't know!” Jonathan stammered, holding the Vanoss-III tighter than he had before. They continued running, glancing over their shoulders nervously. They turned the corner, coming to a stop suddenly as the young man dropped from the roof above them, bloody knife in hand.

“Who the hell are you?” The man snarled. He lowered the knife, pointing it to the Vanoss-III. “And what is that? Why did you call that machine Evan?”

“That's...That’s his name. Evan. Who are you? Why did you help us?” Jonathan asked, staring at the young man. He wore mostly dark clothes and combat boots. The only colour on him was his red hoodie, the colour fading. He had armour on as well, protecting his chest mostly.

“You aren't asking me any questions, New Town scum.” The man spat. “What is that?” He kept his knife pointed at the Vanoss-III. Jonathan looked down at it slowly before holding it up, the glowing red light of the owl illuminating the young man's scruffy face.

“Evan?” Jonathan whispered. “It’s okay now.”

“Jonathan? Who is this? Wait...Do I know you?” Evan’s voice was quiet, directed to the young man whose eyes went wide, backing away from the Vanoss-III.

“This is Evan. The machine is called the Vanoss-III. We’re trying to find a man named Tyler who knows Evan.” Luke explained. “Sir? Are you okay?” He asked when he saw how distressed the young man had become.

“My...my friend...Evan Fong...He disappeared a year ago. This machine sounds just like him.” The man stammered. “That isn’t right, is it? For a machine to sound so real.”

“It isn’t. That is because this is really your friend! His consciousness!” Jonathan explained. He held the Vanoss-III out to the young man who slowly took it, holding it cautiously in his hands.

“Evan?”

“Your voice sounds so familiar…” Evan said softly.

“He lost his memory in whatever turned him into his but it’s coming back to him. Slowly.” Jonathan said when he saw the man’s expression.

“My name is Lui, Evan. You know me. I’m one of your best friends. We’re like family.” He smiled, the red glow of the owl reflecting off the tears that watered his eyes.

“Lui?” Evan repeated. “Lui!”

“Yeah. It’s me!”

 

The old bridge loomed over Jonathan, darker than the night sky above him. It was just like Evan had described, the icicles sharper than Jonathan imagined. He wondered what was on the other side, looking across the river to the darkness on the other side of the bridge. Only New Town had connections to the outside world, something that Jonathan doubted that he would ever see. Then again, he had doubted that he would ever see Old Town before this.

“Here we are.” Lui said as they walked towards one of the dark apartment buildings just warm light coming from it’s windows. He stopped them in the door, turning to look at them with an apologetic look. “I gonna say sorry now for what Tyler and the others might say.” Lui sighed. “He really isn't himself when he loses his temper and this is bound to freak him out.” He gestured to the Vanoss-III in Jonathan's hand. Holding it had made Lui nervous, scared he break it so he gave it back to Jonathan who felt comforted to have Evan back.

“I’m used to it.” Jonathan said, pretending he didn't see Luke and Lui’s sympathetic glances. “Can we go in?” Lui nodded, leading the way up a set of narrow stairs to the top floor. Jonathan had thought it would be warm inside but it was just as cold as outside, shivers running through him.

“Lui! Is that you? What the hell took you so long?” A voice called out as they reached the top floor. Lui pushed open the first door in the hallway, stepping into a dimly lit apartment that had sparse furniture. There was no perfect whites or luxurious furniture like New Town. Jonathan felt relieved. He hated the colour white. “Who the hell are they?” Jonathan's eyes went to the man sitting at the table across the room. He was the blonde from the video, the one who had been right beside Evan.

“My name is Jonathan and this is Luke. You’re Tyler, right?” Jonathan asked, cautiously taking a step forward, the light glinting off his polished shoes.

“Those are some real fancy shoes you got there. What's it like in New Town?” Tyler spat, suddenly getting to his feet. Jonathan glanced at Tyler’s dirty combat boots, now understanding why people were noticing their polished perfect dress shoes.

“We aren't here to hurt anyone! We found Evan! We wanted to bring him back!” Jonathan explained quickly, fearing that Tyler would hit him when he saw his hands curl into fists.

“Where...Where is he?” Tyler looked up to the door as if expecting Evan to walk through the door.

“Tyler? Lui? Who are they?” Their attention turned to another young man who had entered the room from one of the small bedrooms, standing in the doorway.

“Couple of New Town kids who say they found Evan.” Tyler spat.

“We’re not kids. We’re in seniors in High School. Practically adults.” Luke muttered, ignoring Jonathan’s sharp glare.

“I don't see Evan anywhere.” The other man crossed his arms, glancing at Lui who stood close to Jonathan and Luke as if protecting them.

“Evan is here!” Jonathan held up the Vanoss-III, watching Tyler flinched away from it as if it was going to hurt him. “Don't worry. It isn't going to hurt you. This...This is Evan.” He turned the device on, the glowing red light filling the room.

“Evan?”

“Jonathan? Where are we now? Oh.” He paused. “I think I know this place.” Evan said, that same tone of wonder in his voice.that brought a smile to his face. Tyler stared at the device with disbelief, the shock slowly turning into anger. “Lui? Are you still here?”

“I’m here.” Lui called out. “Don't wor-” He was cut off by Tyler, his voice loud and full of rage.

“This is a fucking joke. Evan wouldn't allow this to happen to him. He hated machines. Hated New Town. He would rather die than be in this abomination.” Tyler snarled, stepping towards Jonathan. He grabbed the Vanoss-III from Jonathan's hands, ignoring his protests as he tried to break the device.

“Please don't break it! That is Evan! I swear!” Jonathan reached for Vanoss-III, caught of guard when Tyler hit him hard across the face, sending him falling to the floor. He felt blood drip from his nose, the taste of blood filling his mouth. He spat blood onto the floor, pushing himself back up to his feet when Luke, Lui and the other man reached him. Luke managed to get the Vanoss-III back from Tyler, handing it to Jonathan.

“Tyler! That wasn't necessary. Just listen to him!” The man cried, taking the Vanoss-III gently from him. “Just because he is from New Town doesn't mean that he is a lying bastard.”

“Thanks.” Jonathan spat, holding his hand to his bleeding nose. “This device, the Vanoss-III was given to me as a present by my parents. All the machine can do is talk. It's supposed to be a virtual friend. At first, Evan didn't remember anything and I thought that he was just a normal machine. Well not actually. Normal machines don't speak like he does. Anyways, he started remembering things. He became conscious of himself. When myself and Luke realised that he is a real person, we had to bring him back home.” Jonathan explained as best he could, blood dripping down his wrist to the floor and soaking his jacket sleeve.

“This isn’t Evan. Where is his body? What happened to him?” Tyler snarled, refusing to accept what Jonathan was saying.

“We don't know. He can't remember either!” Luke cried as Lui handed Jonathan a cloth to try to stop the bleeding. He held the rag to his nose, his other hand curled tightly around the Vanoss-III.

“What do you think, Brock?” Lui asked, catching the man's attention. “I want to ask Evan.” He said after a moment. With a sigh, Jonathan handed over the device. “Evan?”

“You sound familiar. You all sound so familiar.” Evan wondered aloud, a sad smile spreading on Brock's face when he hear Evan’s voice.

“It’s me, Brock. And that's Tyler.” Brock said softly.

“Oh...Oh! I remember! Tyler! Brock!” Evan sounded so excited. Jonathan hadn't heard him sound this way before, not even when he had shown him the lights of the city and he couldn't help but feel envious.

“Evan...Can you tell me if what these New Towners said is true? Is this really you?” Brock sounded desperate, wanting it all to be true but that would mean that his friend was now a machine from New Town, something that would be almost impossible to accept.

“Yes.” Jonathan could see Brock's face fall as he realised he had to accept it. “I remember suddenly waking up and the world was all strange. I can’t move but I can see and sense things. Like I’m floating in air. Everything that happened to me before, my past memories which involve you...They come in flashes.” Evan explained. “Jonathan took care of me. He wanted to bring me back to you. I know I can't remember much but believe me! I am Evan.”

“Just because that machine sounds like Evan that it really is him.” Tyler hissed. “How do we know it's not programmed to do that?”

“Have you never heard a machine talk before?” Luke snapped. Jonathan winced when he saw the glares on their faces at his comment full of ignorance. “Sorry...What I meant was that machines that talk in New Town...Don't talk like this, like the Vanoss-III. All of them are programmable, sounds put together to create a language. They don't have personality or character like this one does.” Luke explained. “Machines don't think like Evan, a human consciousness, does.”

“Look, we just wanted to bring him back to you guys. He is your friend. You should decide what to do. We have to get back home.” Jonathan sighed, hating that he had to say goodbye to Evan.

“You aren't going anywhere.” Tyler said suddenly. Jonathan stared at him, wondering if he had heard him right.

“What?” Jonathan looked to Lui with pleading eyes as if he could help them but he was on Tyler's side now.

“Excuse me?” Luke spat. “Do you have any idea what people in New Town might do to you if they find out we went missing in Old Town? For your own good, we can't stay.”

“What is there left for New Town to do to us?” Tyler glanced at the others who weren’t fighting his decision to make them stay. “You aren't going anywhere until we find out what really happened to Evan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support so far with this fic! Sorry for the wait, this past week has been really busy for me but now it's the Holiday break so I can get a lot of work done on this fic! Again, thank you so much for the support!


	5. Chapter 5

Jonathan tossed and turned in his makeshift bed, kicking the scratchy blanket away only to shiver when he got too cold, forced to pull it back. He was used to sleeping on his large soft bed with feather filled pillows and blankets.  More than that, he was used to sleeping with the glowing red light from Vanoss-III, with hearing Evan beside him talk till he fell asleep. Tyler had taken it, not trusting Jonathan and Luke with it at all. He seemed nervous that the device could kill him, that it would turn him into the same thing that Evan had become so he had forced Jonathan to turn it off, saying quiet soothing words to Evan as the screen went dark. Tyler wasn't listening to them, giving Jonathan the idea that it would take discovering the truth to get him to trust them. 

Now he was in the dark, the room dimly lit by the deep orange glow that came from the street lamps outside, only able to hear Luke snore in his cot beside Jonathan’s. He was grateful that they had been given the small makeshift beds instead of sleeping on the wooden damp floor. There had been a few comments about how it was nothing like they were used to in New Town when they were setting them up, Jonathan forcing a smile and a nod, pretending that he wasn't wishing he was at home. 

Jonathan sat up, shivering from the draft that came through the window. He pulled the blanket back around himself, wanting to go find the Vanoss-III so he could talk to Evan but he was scared of getting caught by Tyler, his nose still sore from the punch. He settled for exploring the room, getting off his rickety cot to look around. Near the table that Tyler had been sitting at earlier was a shelf, full of books and small boxes. The books weren't textbooks full of information on machines or stories about how great the machines were, they were accurate history books and stories of things that were not mechanical, the word not even mentioned in them. He wanted to read them, to explore a version of his world that he had never thought to before but he forced himself to stay focused. 

One of the boxes was labeled in black marker with the name ‘Evan’. It was on the top shelf, with little dust on it which meant it was moved a lot. Though he had been gone for so long, Evan’s memory was still alive and well. Because of the Vanoss-III, so was his consciousness. Jonathan pushed away the thoughts that Evan might be gone, sitting down on his bed with the box. 

He took the top off, finding an array of things inside, all of which belonging to Evan. Held together by a red ribbon were a bunch of photos taken with an old camera. He held the bundle gently, carefully pulling the red ribbon off. In the pictures, Evan was smiling, surrounded by his friends. He liked these photos a lot more  than the serious ones in the Information Tablet. In most of them, Evan was wearing a red jacket with two white stripes on the sleeves. It suited him, the colour a sharp contrast from the darkness of his hair and eyes. 

Wrapping the ribbon back around the photos, he continued to look through the box. He found a couple of letters written from Evan’s family, his mother mostly. They were old, one splattered with red that Jonathan knew wasn't ink. He found other small things, a watch stuck on the time 3:57 and a notebook. Inside the notebook were poems written by Evan, his handwriting gliding across the paper. He wrote about love and wonder, about what might be across the bridge and what might be over the checkpoint. Most of all, he wrote about grief, how it twisted and pulled at his heart, how it made him angry and wanting for revenge. When he looked up again from the poems, he realised that the sky was starting to get brighter, having been caught up in reading them for almost an hour. 

Jonathan put the notebook back into the box, finding a handful of small green toy soldiers at the bottom. He smiled at the thought of a younger Evan playing with the toy soldiers. He set the box down on the floor, setting the soldiers up beside it as if they were protecting it, their plastic guns ready to defend what little remained of Evan’s past life. 

 

The wail of a siren woke Jonathan, interrupting his dreams of glowing towers and green soldiers writing poetry in the snow. He hadn't even realised that he had fallen asleep, the box of Evan's things still open on the floor by his bed protected by the toy soldiers. The sun was just risen, the glow filling the room with an orange glare. 

He heard the sound of hurried footsteps, Lui, Tyler and Brock hurrying into the room dressed in dark clothes and armour. Jonathan pushed the box and the soldiers under his cot, hoping they wouldn't be seen as he sat up, Luke looking equally confused when he met his gaze. 

“What is that? What's going on?” Luke asked, watching them grab batons and tie their boots. 

“Police machines are moving in again. Someone must have provoked one a bit too much. Happens every day.” Brock explained, pulling his black hood over his head. 

“You mean a riot?” Jonathan summarized. “You’re going to a riot?” 

“We aren't going to let those people fend for themselves. Some people just get caught in it. But you wouldn't know any of that, would you?” Tyler snapped. 

“Where did you leave Evan?” Jonathan asked, getting to his feet. “While you are gone fighting police machines who are just trying to keep the peace, we can see what else he remembers.” 

“Keep the peace?” Tyler laughed. “Keeping the peace! Police machines? Ha! Say that again you ignorant little prick and I’ll break your nose again.” Jonathan stared at Tyler who glared back, waiting for Jonathan to say something. “Lui stay here. Make sure these two idiots don't go anywhere. And don't let them have that machine, the Yanoss or whatever it is.” Tyler said as he left the small apartment, Brock following behind. 

“It’s called the Vanoss-III.” Jonathan spat, slouching down to his cot. “It’s Evan.” He corrected himself. “It is!” He insisted when he saw Lui and Luke staring at him. 

“I believe you, Jonathan.” Lui said as he sat down beside him. “And I know that Tyler and Brock do too it’s just harder to accept for them. They were really close with Evan.” Lui sighed. He paused for a moment, thinking about to say. “We go out there and fight New Town, and those machines. We’ve seen them kill our friends and our families. We thought for sure that Evan was killed too by one and now...now we see that he is one of these machines.” Lui’s boot knocked over one of the army men, the noise it made catching their attention. “What's this?” He bent over, picking up the toy soldier before glancing at Jonathan. “This is Evan's.” He got off the cot, looking underneath to find the box and the rest of the toy soldiers. 

“I can explain!” Jonathan cried as Lui pulled the box out. “I couldn't sleep and I saw Evan's name on it! I was curious!” He cried. “I didn't take anything, it’s all there!” Lui glanced up at him, giving him a small smile as he sat back on the floor, holding the small green soldier. 

“Evan loves these things.” Lui smiled. Luke picked up one of the soldiers, making gun noises as he aimed at at Jonathan who smiled. It helped him forget the sound of the siren that hadn't stopped this whole time. “He used to have a big collection of them. We would sit on his bedroom floor and play war for hours when we were younger. That was before…” He trailed off, setting the toy soldier down on the floor by the box. 

“Before what?” Jonathan asked, watching Lui reach into the box and pull out the watch. 

“3:57.” Lui said. Luke and Jonathan looked at him with confusion, waiting for an explanation. “We were sixteen. I lived beside Evan. We made a bridge between our windows and we’d climb back and forth a lot. We’d seen the other bridges in Old Town but never really knew what they were for we just knew we wanted one between out windows. Our parents were okay with it, you know. They probably saw it as a way to escape if they needed it.” Lui fidgeted with the watch, turning it over in his hands. “One day, it was really bad. The rioting was more like a battle. There was blood flowing in the streets and machines were getting torn apart. New Town decided to call in their air force. They dropped more than fifty bombs on Old Town that day. I remember hearing them coming down, these loud shrieking whistling noises that were louder than anything I’ve ever heard.  My mother had run upstairs to wake me up so we could get out and get to cover. I don’t why, but I remember looking at my window and I saw Evan at his bedroom window, throwing it open so  he and his brother and his parents tried to get across the bridge to get to our place. They had been blocked in by debris and the bridge was their only way out. Evan went first because he was the youngest. I remember him reaching for my hand and the whistling of the bomb as it fell.” Lui shuddered. 

“You don't have to tell us, Lui. It’s okay.” Luke said softly. 

“No. I want you to know.” His tone was hard, almost angry. “That bomb hit Evan’s home, blew it and his family inside apart. I had grabbed onto Evan’s hand and the force threw us back into my room. I remember hearing him scream, louder to me than the sound of the explosion. He ran back to that hole in the wall where my window had been once he could stand, seeing nothing left but broken stone and glass. That was when I saw how bloody his hand was.” Lui picked up the solder, pressing his fingers against the end of the plastic gun. “When I made him show me what was in his hand...He said that was all he could grab in time. He had a handful of toy soldiers, their guns stabbed into his hand cause he had held them too tightly. Since that day, Evan swore that he was gonna end New Town, bring it to it’s knees to pay for what they did to Old Town. To him. The scars left on his hand were a reminder for him.” Lui put the toy soldiers back in the box, not noticing Luke and Jonathan’s disturbed expressions. 

“They never said anything about the bombing in New Town. They just said it was a big riot and a lot of people died because of how uncontrollable it was.” Luke said quietly. 

“No one seemed to care.” Jonathan added. 

“You did.” Luke reminded him. “A New Towner’s life is not worth more than an Old Towner’s.” Luke repeated what Jonathan had said in reaction to the event. Jonathan glanced between him and Lui before looking back down at the box. 

“It’s true. Evan, in his human form wanted to bring down New Town and it’s machines. I believe that he still can as a conscious machine. My father is always going on about how terrifying it is for our society to have a machine that thinks for it’s own.” Jonathan explained, reaching for the notebook to flip through the pages. Lui let him, listening with interest. “A machine is programmable, controllable. But once it starts thinking on it’s own, once it’s awake, well it’s beyond control. Evan thinks. He remembers and reacts.” Jonathan explained. “He is a person that has been placed in a machine. That alone should be enough to ruin New Town.” 

“Never thought I’d heard someone from that fancy place want to destroy it.” Lui smiled. 

“I’ve seen what makes it so fancy. It isn't as great as you think it is.” Jonathan spat. 

“You have a roof over your head that will never fall and a guarantee that you’ll make it through the day. It’s more than great.” Lui took the notebook back, tossing it back into the box and closed the lid on the memories. “We need more than just Evan in his current form as the Vanoss-III  if we’re gonna bring it down though. We need to know why and how he ended up in that machine.” Lui said as he got up.  “Before he went missing, he used to work at this factory along the river. They build parts for machines so he already had knowledge of them before he became one. We can go there, see what we can dig up. Most of the police are gonna be busy with the riot so we should be able to get there and back before Tyler gets back.” 

“You want to sneak around behind your friend’s back?” Luke asked, glancing nervously at Jonathan. 

“Tyler wants the same thing but he doesn't want to wait around for it. He’d be more likely to throw himself at the checkpoint and try to get answers in New Town than try look here at home.” Lui sighed. 

“But there is a riot going on right now. I don't want us to get caught in that.” Jonathan glanced worriedly at the window as if expecting to see police machines marching past. 

“We won't. You have me with you.” Lui assured him. “Though you’ll need a weapon just in case. And you definitely need new shoes.” 

 

“Stay close. Don’t make eye contact with anyone. Just keep your head down and stay close to me.” Lui instructed as they walked down one of the busy market streets, full of people nervously hurrying around, pushing through the crowd. Some were eager to get home, knowing that the riot happening across town could easily make it’s way there. Others were eager to get to the riot, wanting to burn off the anger bottled up inside them. 

“Why shouldn't we look at anyone?” Luke asked, glancing up at the bridges that criss crossed the street above them. 

“You are the poster boys for New Town. Your pretty hair and faces ain't like nothing in Old Town. One person takes a good look at you and they will know right away. You’re shoes did the exact same thing too. No one has polished shoes this side of the checkpoint.” Lui explained, glancing behind them. The siren had not stopped all morning, it’s shrill sound inescapable. 

“Police!” Someone from above them on the bridges screamed. “Machines are coming! Get off the street!” People panicked, screaming as they were pushed in their frantic haste to the get to the nearest building. Jonathan could faintly make out the sound of gears as the machines moved over the sounds of panic screams and yells. 

“Come on!” Lui pushed through the crowd, Jonathan and Luke close behind. They made their way into one of the buildings, running up the spiral staircase to the top floor. He pushed his way onto the bridge, gripping the rail tightly as he looked up the street. Jonathan and Luke caught up to him, their eyes widening at the sight of the mass of dark machines marching down the street. They were faced by the Replaced who hadn't run, throwing burning molotovs and stones at the machines. In return, smoke bombs were thrown back, the thick white clouds of smoke filling the air. Some of the rioters who hadn't covered their faces turned away coughing, stumbling to get away from the smoke.  The machines continued to advanced unphased by the fire and the smoke. 

Jonathan watched, horrified as one of the young rioters ran forward with a baton held tight in their hands. He was grabbed by the machines before he could even swing the bat and thrown violently to the muddy snow covered ground. Instead of just simply arresting the man, the machine returned with a hit of it’s own, bringing it’s own baton down on the man. 

“Don’t watch that...Just come on.” Lui said quietly, pulling Jonathan along across the bridge, Luke close behind both disturbed by what they had just witnessed. 

“Those machines aren’t supposed to hit back. Why did they hit back?” Luke whispered to Jonathan as they hurried along the bridge above the street, pushing past others who were taking cover from the riot below, cloths held to their faces if they didn’t have gas masks to protect themselves from the gas that was rising up from the smoke bombs. “Why did they hit back?” 

“I don’t know, Luke! I don’t know anything anymore!” Jonathan spat, his hand curling around the strap of his bag, the Vanoss-III safe inside. “I just don’t know.” 

 

Like the smoke that exploded from the smoke bombs, the smoke that was being belched out of the towering smokestacks was white and full of chemicals. To Jonathan, the smokestacks were like the towers of New Town, reaching towards Heaven in an attempt to escape the hell that was at the bottom. 

Jonathan had thought that the factory would be busy, full of people that would make it difficult to find what they had come for, but because of the riot, people had fled to their homes, nervous of the violence making it’s way to this side of town. It had before. Seemed that it had been all over Old Town. Everywhere that Jonathan had seen so far ,there was rubble, the occasional fire still burning that hadn’t been smothered by the snow. 

The factory was by the river like Lui had said, the water dark and moving quickly, the edges covered in thick ice. Jonathan stayed close to Lui the same way a child stayed close to their parents, glancing up nervously at the towering factory as they walked towards it. 

“Evan worked here?” Jonathan asked, trying to keep his voice steady so he wouldn’t give Lui the impression that he was scared. 

“Yeah. People in Old Town who want to make some money are limited to what they can do and New Town is more than happy to offer people a job building their machines.” Lui spat as they approached a side door. He pulled it open, the metal door heavy and creaking. 

“But they are fighting New Town. Why would they want to work for them?” Luke asked. 

“Some people in Old Town have the impression that if they have money, they can get into New Town. Others need it to simply be able to own their own home here instead of searching for the nearest open room every night like most people. Evan wanted his own home.” Lui explained as they headed inside. 

Inside, there were more people, none of them giving them a second glance as they entered the factory. It was loud, sparks flying through the air from the welding of metal. The heat was almost unbearable, Jonathan reaching to loosen his jacket. The machines being put together were simple servant machines, designed to just do simple things in and around the home in New Town.

“I’ve checked Evan’s locker before but I couldn’t find anything It had already been cleared out when I got there. Can you get us into the offices?” Lui asked, heading towards the metal stairs at the side of the factory. 

“What if there is someone in there?” Jonathan asked nervously, following Lui up the stairs. The railing was hot to the touch, even through his gloves. 

“Don’t worry about that just get us in there.” Lui said when they reached the top. The first door required a key card, the next door requiring a code. They could see through the window that looked out onto the factory floor that the office was thankfully empty. 

“Find me some tools and I can deal with this.” Luke said, pointing to the white glowing numbers. Lui nodded, telling them not to move at all before hurrying to find what Luke needed. He returned with what he could find, not having any idea of how to deal with machines like Luke and Jonathan did. 

“Will these work?” Lui asked. Luke shrugged, taking one of the screwdrivers, first setting about taking off the front to expose the wires underneath. Lui watched curiously, thinking that it was so fascinating to see all the wires and to see Luke work. Jonathan had seen it before. While he was more interested in seeing machines work, Luke was more interested in how they worked, a professional when it came to wiring. With a tug on the right wire, the lock unlocked,  the door sliding open with the sound of gears.  Jonathan went to the desk with the large computer, opening the files on employees and recent emails. “Evan went missing a year ago so maybe you’ll need to look farther back.” Lui reminded him. 

“Right.” Jonathan nodded, scrolling back through the emails. “There was nothing that happened before that would suggest as to why he disappeared?” Jonathan asked, glancing up at him. 

“He was arrested for breaking the head off a riot police machine. I’ve never seen anyone do that before. The weak spots are always hard to find on those damn things. Somehow, he found it.” Lui said after a moment. “Would that be enough to scare New Town into kidnapping him?” 

“There is a lot that can scare New Town.” Jonathan muttered, searching through the emails for any familiar word or name. 

“What’s that?” Lui pointed to the screen to an email titled with Evan’s name. Jonathan clicked on the email, opening it. “Evan Fong will not be returning for work. He has been chosen to be a part of the new the Vanoss project which requires his full attention. His knowledge of machines and his strong will makes him the perfect candidate for the project. Please fill his position at the factory in soon.” Lui read. “Vanoss project. That’s the name of the machine, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. My father’s company sent this but when I was in my father’s office, I couldn’t find anything on it.” Jonathan said, printing the email. “It’s a project too so in New Town tems, it must be an ongoing for quite some time with several people involved. Evan must not have been the only one who went missing because of this.”

“But what is it though? We can’t just ask Evan because he doesn’t remember, does he?” Luke asked. Jonathan shook his head, reading through the email again. 

“No. He can remember older things but he can’t remember recent things. At least not yet.” Jonathan added. A sudden yell came up from downstairs, an alarm going off suddenly. “What’s happening?” They got up, running to the door to see the workers in a sudden panic, running and pushing past each other to get to the door. 

“We have to get out of here.” Lui cried, pulling Jonathan towards the door. They ran back down the stairs, pushing through the crowd to get outside. People ducked as a roar came from above them, planes flying low overhead. A loud high pitched noise like a shriek rang through the air, the silence that followed feeling like an eternity. 

“Get down!” Someone suddenly screamed. Rubble flew through the air, fire and smoke exploding into the sky as people were thrown back by the shockwave that tore through the surrounding area. Jonathan blindly grabbed onto Luke’s arm, following Lui through the shocked crowd, hurrying back down the street, past the now burning rubble.

The loud shriek came again, ringing in Jonathan’s ears. The next explosion threw Jonathan off his feet, colliding into the wall behind him before crumbling to a heap on the muddy snow. His vision blurred, eyes watering from the overwhelming pain from his back. He rolled on to his back, seeing that he had landed on his bag, the Vanoss-III inside. Weakly, he pulled the machine out, seeing cracks across the screen like a spider’s web. He pressed the power button but nothing happened, the screen remaining dark. 

“No...Evan, no...” Jonathan stammered, his vision blurring into darkness. “No…”


	6. Chapter 6

The world blurred, everything sounding distant, as if underwater. Jonathan's head throbbed with pain, feeling hot blood ooze down his face. His back felt as if it was burning, feeling almost overwhelming. 

Trying to stay awake as his vision darkened, he pressed his forehead against the cracked screen of the Vanoss-III, as if the touch would fix the device as well as his own wounds.  

“Jon!” A voice yelled, not nearly as loud as the ringing in his ears. “Jonathan! Oh God, Jon!” Hands gripped his shoulders, rolling him onto his back. His hands weakly curled around the Vanoss-III, trying to focus on the figure that seemed to hover over him. “Jonathan! We have to move! The planes are coming back!” The figure cried, sounding desperate and scared.

Jonathan couldn't answer, couldn't bring himself to move, only stare up at Luke who slowly came into focus as he shook his shoulders. “Jon!” Luke pulled Jonathan to his feet as gently as he could though Jonathan still cried out in pain. He leaned heavily against Luke, struggling to keep his grip on the Vanoss-III. 

“Evan...He’s broken…” Jonathan stammered through gritted teeth, his back stinging with pain. “B-Broken…I fell on it...It’s my fault...He’s gone.” 

“It’s okay, Jon! Evan isn't broken! We can fix it!” Luke said, trying to get Jonathan to move. Up ahead, Lui saw that Luke was struggling with Jonathan, running back through the smoking rubble towards them to help. 

Jonathan pulled away from Luke, the Vanoss-III slipping from his shaking hands to the muddy snow at his feet. He fell to his knees, grabbing onto the device as he glanced up at the wreckage. 

The buildings had crumbled under the force of the bomb, the bridges that people had been running across  in their attempt to get to covet were destroyed with the supporting buildings. In some places, the snow had turned red under the brick and wood from the buildings. 

As hard as it was to hear and focus, Jonathan could still make out people frantically trying to help loved ones who were dazed and wounded. Others screamed the names of people who were buried under the rubble as if they could hear them and come running. 

The thought occurred to Jonathan that this happened because of him. That these people were dead because of New Town who didn't care about them at all. What if they thought that he and Luke had been kidnapped by Old Towners and now these people were paying the price for their stupidity? Evan, the Vanoss-III, wouldn't be broken if it wasn't for him. He felt tears fall from his eyes, trailing down his cheek before falling to the snow. 

“I’m sorry…” Jonathan breathed as Luke and Lui pulled him to his feet. Luke picked up the the Vanoss-III, putting it back in Jonathan's bag where it would be safe. The two supported Jonathan as they hurried past the burning rubble and the screaming people. 

“It’s all okay. We’ll go back home and it’ll all be okay.” Lui whispered. Jonathan wanted to tell him that the apartment wasn't his home but all that came out was a gasping breath full of pain. Jonathan could do nothing but let them carry him away from the wreckage and pray that it would all be okay, that the damage wasn't beyond repair though he wasn't sure what he was more worried about; Old Town or Evan. 

 

Jonathan was dimly aware of Luke and Lui pulling him back to the apartment. All around them it seemed that there was damage. It all sounded so far away to Jonathan, so distant. The screams and the constant siren of alarm, both sounding the same. The only thing that he could really focus on was that he had to fix the Vanoss-III. 

Warmth surrounded him as they got him inside, heading up the winding stairs to the apartment. They were expecting to be greeted with more warmth and comfort but were only greeted with anger and a raised voice. 

“Where the hell were you? That machine is gone, Lui!” Tyler yelled. He had been pacing the living room when they entered the room, Brock sitting at the table behind him, too tired to try to calm Tyler down who wouldn’t listen. Lui didn’t answer, pushing past him to lay Jonathan down on his cot. 

“Get some warm water and the first aid kit! Now!” Lui ordered, glancing up at Tyler who didn’t move, only glared darkly. 

“You want me to help this New Town scum? They are bombing Old Town again and you want me to help? People are dead because of him and those New Towners!” Tyler spat. 

“I’ll get it.” Brock said quietly, getting up from the table. 

“Tyler please. It was my idea to go out. Don’t be mad at them! They didn't do anything.” Lui tried to reason with Tyler. 

“I told you to watch them! That machine that they claim is Evan is gone! You heard me this morning right, Brock?” Tyler snapped when Brock came back into the room, setting the bowl of warm water down by the cot with the kit. “You heard me say that they couldn't leave! That they couldn't touch the machine!” 

“Just hear them out, Tyler.” Brock said, catching Tyler off guard. He had been expecting Brock to be on his side. Tyler sighed, his angry gaze turning to Lui, waiting for him to explain what had happened. 

“We decided that going to the factory where Evan had worked before he disappeared would be a good place to go looking for any answers so we went there. Luke and Jonathan, being from New Town, have more knowledge about technology than any of us. They got into the offices, and onto the computers there. We found an email that said that Evan had been chosen to be a part of this thing called the ‘Vanoss project.’ We weren’t able to find anything else because they started bombing. Jonathan got hurt in the blast, breaking the Vanoss-III. Luke said that he and Jonathan can fix it.” Lui explained, pressing the damp wet cloth to the wound on Jonathan’s forehead. 

“You had already tried checking there and you said there was nothing! All we know is that he got picked to be a part of this project and that's it! This was for nothing! We don’t need these two!” Tyler yelled. “There is talk of stormin the checkpoint cause of these bombs! We get into New Town and we can have all the answers we want!” 

“That isn’t going to help you find out what happened to Evan!” Lui yelled, louder than Tyler. He threw the cloth down into the bowl, the blood turning the warm water a light shade of red as he stood up to face the taller man. Luke looked up at Lui, glancing nervously between him and Tyler. 

“Yes it will! We know that New Town took Evan and they possibly turned him into that fucking machine! That should be more than enough to want to destroy New Town! You’ve seen the damage, Lui! You’ve seen them kill your friends and family! For all you know, they’ve killed Evan now too!” Tyler spat.

“Don’t say that! Don’t fucking say that! Evan is alive! That machine is him!” Lui snapped. Tyler shook his head. “Evan is still alive! What could make you think otherwise?” 

“That’s not living. There is nothing about that machine that is alive.” Tyler hissed. “Evan may as well be dead.” 

“Throwing molotovs at the checkpoint thinking that you are doing somethin’ good for Old Town ain’t gonna bring him back. It’s gonna get you killed! Do you not remember the last time people tried stormin the checkpoint? They got slaughtered! I won’t let that happen to you!” Lui yelled. Tyler stared at Lui, opening his mouth to speak but Lui wasn’t done. “I know you were close to Evan.” 

“Lui.” Tyler warned, not wanting to hear this. 

“We were too! I’ve known Evan for years. I want him back too but attacking police machines ain’t gonna do that. Luke and Jonathan are our only chance at figuring this out. If you can’t accept that, you may as well give up now. You’ll die before you find out if you keep this bullshit up!” Lui said, his tone still sharp. Tyler stared at him, his gaze slowly moving to Jonathan and Luke. Jonathan could  faintly hear them, his ears still ringing from the blast.He could make out a few words, hearing the anger in them and wondered if they were about him. Tyler turned away when he met Jonathan's pained gaze, slouching down into a chair by the table. 

The room was silent for a long time, at least that was what it felt like though it could have only been a few moments. Tyler’s eyes were on the window and the snow falling outside, covering the mud and splotches of blood. Luke turned back to Jonathan, cleaning the wound on his head of the blood that had dried there before reaching the bandages. 

“Where is the Vanoss-III now?” Tyler finally asked, breaking the silence. Luke glanced up at him, then to the bag on the floor beside Jonathan’s bed. He picked it up, handing it to Tyler who gently took the device out of the bag. He traced his fingers across the spider web of cracks on the screen, seeming nervous to be touching it. He still believed, like many Old Towners, that any device from New Town could kill him. He shook his head, trying to tell himself that it was Evan. Evan would never hurt him. “Can you fix it?” 

“Yeah. I can fix the basic stuff like the cracked screen and whatever damage might have occurred on the inside. Jonathan might want to take a look at it too. He’ll know what to do with the more advanced stuff.” Luke said, giving Tyler a reassuring smile. Tyler nodded, trying to return the smile before looking back down at the device. 

“Tyler, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-” 

“No.” Tyler said, cutting him off. “Don’t say sorry. You’re right.” 

 

Jonathan woke with a start, his dream of toy soldiers running through the smoking ruins of Old Town still flashing through his mind. He stared around the room with wide eyes, for a moment not remembering where he was. It all came back to him quickly, remembering the explosion and the pain. He winced as he forced himself to sit up, his back feeling bruised. His skin on his back had gone a dark, angry purple colour, the bandages wrapped around his head red in places. 

His eyes landed on the Vanoss-III across the room on the table where Tyler had left it. He managed to push himself out of the bed, wrapping the scratchy blanket around himself as he made his way across the room slowly. The room faintly smelled of smoke though he wasn’t sure if it was from the dying fire in the fireplace or if it was coming in through the drafts in the windows from outside. 

With a strike of the match, he lit the candle on the table by the Vanoss-III, the warm light filling the room with it’s glow. As he sat down, he wondered how long he had been out for, the world outside dark. Luke was asleep in the cot beside Jonathan’s, the others probably asleep in their rooms.

The crack on the screen was gone, only the smallest outline left which meant that Luke must have already done some repairs on it. Hesitantly, he flipped it over, using a screwdriver to take the back off. Jonathan’s hands shook with nervousness, not even sure if he wanted to even try to fix it. He had dealt with machines similar to this one before but none of them had a consciousness. If he cut the wrong wire or didn’t screw in the right screw, it could be the end for Evan. 

The inside of the Vanoss-III was the normal computer parts that Jonathan was familiar with. They had been fixed by Luke, but one part hadn’t been touched. The square chip in the center of the device glowed blue, a dim light that illuminated Jonathan’s face. The wires connecting it to the other computer parts seemed bent, needing to reattached to the chip. He wasn't even sure how to approach it, not knowing which wires were the most important ones. He didn't have the best tools either.

“Jonathan?” The voice snapped him.out of his thoughts, making him jump. He turned around in his chair to see Tyler standing by the hall. “Shouldn’t you be resting?” 

“Can’t sleep.” Jonathan said, turning back to the Vanoss-III. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping? I’m sure that you need it.” 

“Can’t sleep.” Tyler smiled, sitting down beside him at the table. Jonathan looked up at him, surprised to see him actually smiling at him before looking back down at the glowing blue chip. “I haven’t really been able to sleep well since Evan disappeared. All I can think about is what might have happened to him. He knocked the head off that machine and New Town probably wanted him dead because of it. He knew how to destroy them.” 

“Knows how to destroy them.” Jonathan corrected him. “He’s still alive, Tyler.” Tyler nodded, his eyes landing on the glowing blue chip. 

“What’s that?” He asked, pointing to the chip.

“I think…” Jonathan paused, thinking of what to say. “I think it’s Evan. That’s where his consciousness is. The other parts are computer parts. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”  

“That’s it? A computer chip?” Tyler laughed. “Evan would be so pissed. Someone as great as him reduced to nothing more than a computer chip. That’s sad, isn’t it?” 

“It is...But you can’t just think of him as just a machine. It’s still Evan. He still thinks and talks the same. There just isn’t any physical attributes to him anymore.” Jonathan explained, trying to stay positive. “That’s all. He's still human.” 

“Is that right though? Is it really right to be putting someone’s mind in a machine? Is it still really them? I mean...what if this is a copy of Evan? Can you do that? Copy someone’s mind and put it in something else?” Tyler wondered. Jonathan shook his head, refusing to believe that Evan was a copy. 

“No. That’s not possible. Trust me, I would know if that was possible. Of all the technological advances we have in New Town, that isn’t one. Besides, why would anyone want to do that?” Jonathan asked, looking more closely at the device. 

“Maybe they want to get rid of human contact in New Town. Or maybe they want to live forever. Nothing like being rich and immortal.” Tyler spat. 

“We’re not all bad, Tyler. I know that New Towners are privileged, that our machines might have fucked things up for Old Town but we have good intentions. Machines are supposed to make lives better!” Jonathan tried to explain. He hated every word that came out of his mouth, trying to ignore the fact that someone’s life had been taken and put into the machine in front of him. He was saying what he had been taught to think in New Town, the opposite of what Old Towners were taught. Tyler didn’t say anything, his expression hardening with anger.“Sorry. That was stupid of me to say.” 

“You aren’t entirely wrong. I’m sure that your intentions were good to start with but there ain’t nothing good about the Vanoss project.” Tyler said. “Can you fix it though?” 

“I think so...I’m just nervous to try. I don’t want to do something wrong that could...that could…” Jonathan trailed off, staring at the glowing chip. 

“It’s better for you to have tried than not at all. Luke said you have the skills to do it.” Tyler smiled. Jonathan nodded, but he still couldn’t bring himself to pick up the tool. “Evan...He does this thing when he gets annoyed. He’ll do this stupid little sigh and shake his head a little. If he could see you so scared right now, he would be doing that.” Tyler laughed. Jonathan smiled, knowing that he was probably right. “I’m sorry I’ve been so angry, Jonathan. It's just...shocking to have someone show up from New Town and say they found your friend but your friend isn’t...Well isn’t really them anymore. I’m sorry I yelled at you.” Tyler added, his smile gone. 

“It’s okay, Tyler. Don't worry about it.” Jonathan said. It was his turn to give Tyler a reassuring smile. “You have every right to be angry. I would be too if what happened to Evan happened to Luke. I just want to help.” He said as  he picked up the tool. He worked cautiously, putting the wires back into place. Tyler stayed with him, asking questions every so often. He would ask what some of the things in the device did, listening intently as Jonathan explained their functions. Jonathan wondered if given the same opportunities, Tyler would be as skilled as himself in the technological fields. 

 

The sun was rising by the time that Jonathan felt that he had done all he could to try to fix the Vanoss-III. He put the back on, screwing the screws back into place. The candle had burned down to a small lump of wax, no longer needed as sunlight started to come in through the window. Tyler had fallen asleep, his head resting against his arms on the table. He wanted to wake up Tyler but he was nervous of being yelled at again so he decided against it. 

Taking a deep breath, he pressed the power button, waiting for the familiar owl to light up red. The screen flashed, glitching red before going dark again. Jonathan felt tears well up in his eyes, a heavy lump forming in his throat as a sob shook his shoulders. He set the device back down on the table, putting his face in his hands. He couldn’t stop the sobs. He had never felt so angry and so hopeless before. 

Evan had changed his life, had shown him beauty in all the little things and because of one mistake, he was gone. Evan wouldn’t even know that he was gone. Jonathan remembered how Evan had explained that when the machine was turned off, time seemed to stop. As if he had fallen asleep and wasn’t even aware of it. Jonathan had just wanted to talk to him again, not even about anything that happening around him. He just wanted to hear his voice. Now he never would. 

“Hmm? Jonathan?” Tyler yawned, sitting up as he rubbed his eyes. “Hey...What’s wrong?” He asked gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t!” Jonathan sobbed. “He’s gone.” Tyler glanced down at the Vanoss-III and it’s dark screen. He picked it up gently as it was alive though he was still nervous of it. He pressed the power button, the screen glitching, flashing red before it went dark. “I fucked it up even more! He’s gone!” 

“No you didn’t! Why don’t we take the back off and see what’s wrong?” Tyler suggested, trying to not get upset himself. Jonathan wiped his tears away with his sleeve, nodding as he reached for the tool to take the back off. “Maybe this is the problem?” Tyler pointed to a wire that was partially connected to the glowing blue chip, but some of it was still disconnected. Jonathan mentally kicked himself for missing it. “Hey it’s okay. It’s fixable, right?” 

“Y-Yeah.” Jonathan nodded, tears still falling from his eyes. 

“Why don’t you tell me what to do and I’ll do it for you?” Tyler asked. Jonathan, feeling stubborn, opened his mouth to say no but he stopped himself. He nodded, agreeing to the idea. Tyler took the tool, listening intently to Jonathan who quietly told him what to do. Once the wire was reattached properly, Tyler turned the device back over. “We’ll try it one more time, okay? Third time's a charm.” He pressed the power button, the screen glitching again as it flashed red. 

“Jonathan?” Evan’s voice stammered, glitching and sounding strange for a moment. Tyler and Jonathan sighed in relief, tears falling from Jonathan’s eyes. 

“Hey Evan.” Jonathan smiled, wiping his tears away. 

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Evan asked, the red owl glitching as he spoke. 

“Nothing. You’re fine, Evan.” Tyler said as he turned the Vanoss-III over to back the back on. 

“Am I?” Evan wondered. Tyler glanced at Jonathan with confusion before looking back at the Vanoss-III. 

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t you be?” Tyler asked. Evan didn’t answer, making Jonathan think that the machine had stopped working. 

“They took me. I don't know who...They were wearing masks...I remember that they threw me into the back of a car...They weren’t machines, they were people. They had guns. I couldn’t fight them.” Evan’s voice sounded scared. If Tyler wasn't there, Jonathan would have held the Vanoss-III close as if hugging him. Tyler glanced up at Jonathan, neither of them sure of what to say. “I don’t know where they took me...It all goes dark after that. What happened to me, Jonathan?” 

“I don’t know, Evan. We’ll figure it out, don’t worry. You’re here and you’re safe.” Jonathan said, trying to reassure him. 

“Tyler...You would miss me if I disappeared...right?” Evan suddenly asked. Tyler seemed confused by the question. It seemed so out of the blue which made Jonathan wonder if the break had jolted more of Evan's memory. 

“Of course I would! Why would you ask that, Evan?” Tyler laughed as if Evan wasn’t serious. He sounded serious to Jonathan. 

“Just...Just wondering.” Evan said quietly. As he spoke, the screen continued to glitch, the outline of the crack on the screen looking like a bloody scar. 

“Evan do you remember where it was that you were...taken?” Jonathan asked, quickly changing the subject. “Where were you when it happened?” 

“I was walking home from work. It was dark...No wait. There were street lights. It wasn’t very far from the factory. I remember seeing the black car with it’s blue headlights...A government car. I had turned down a smaller street, trying to get away from the car. I remember seeing...four bridges above me...There wasn’t much else.” Evan tried to explain. “Sorry it isn’t much.” 

“It’s okay.” Jonathan smiled though he knew that Evan couldn’t see it. “We need to find that spot, Tyler. Maybe there is still something there. A clue or something.” 

“It’s been a year.” Tyler said quietly, not wanting Evan to hear. “I doubt there would be anything there.” 

“It’s better to have tried than having done nothing.”  Jonathan said, remembering what Tyler had said earlier. Tyler sighed, glancing at the window, the dark bridge with it’s jagged icicles seeming to glimmer in the early morning light. “Please, Tyler.” 

“Fine. But you have to promise that you are gonna help us, the Replaced. That once we figure out what happened to Evan, you are gonna help us take down New Town.” Tyler demanded. 

“You want me to help you bring down New Town? You do realise that that is my home, right? My family is there!” Jonathan cried. “My life is there!” 

“It’s here now too! I know you care about Evan! I know you want revenge for him!” Tyler shot back. Jonathan sighed, not wanting to meet Tyler’s gaze. He was right and he knew it. “You know what New Town does, you’ve seen the damage done to Old Town.” Jonathan wanted him to shut up and let him think.

If he agreed to this, he’d be able to find out what happened to Evan but he would never be able to go home, never be able to be certain of his safety again. If he didn’t agree, he’d never find out what happened to Evan and Tyler would want to throw him and Luke out to the streets of Old Town to fend for themselves. Jonathan sighed, the choice obvious to him though he knew he could end up regretting it. 

“Fine. I’ll help you.” 


	7. Chapter 7

The snow had been falling all morning. It seemed like mother nature's attempt at hiding the rubble and smoking streets covered in the remains from explosions under a blanket of white snow. Jonathan shivered as a cold breeze picked up, pulling the scarf that Lui gave him closer around his neck. In his cold gloved hands was the Vanoss-III, the red light glowing on the snow. Jonathan as glad that Evan couldn't feel the cold like he could, every gust of wind that blew the large snowflakes around spending shivers down his spine. 

Yet despite the cold, Jonathan had needed to get some air after listening to Tyler for most of the morning rant about New Town and his plans to take it down. So when he got the chance, he took the Vanoss-III with him and headed outside, sitting down on the river bank wall, watching the dark water flow to who knows where. Above him, the large bridge seemed to creak and groan whenever there was a gust of wind, icicles falling from the dark metal sides of the bridge to the river below. 

“Why did you never just cross the bridge and get out of Old Town?” Jonathan wondered aloud, glancing down at the glowing Vanoss-III.  “Why does no one do that?” 

“Maybe because no one knows what is on the other side. Tyler would argue that if people crossed the bridge it would be like abandoning their cause. Giving up on Old Town.” Evan paused. “I think it might be because people are scared of the unknown. What people don’t know makes them nervous.” Evan said after a  moment. “That goes for anything in this world. From what is across the bridge to machines.” 

“Did you ever want to cross the bridge?” Jonathan asked wanting to change the subject. He looked  across the river to the barren land on the other side, able to make out what must have once been buildings. Jonathan knew that somewhere out there were other cities, possibly like New Town but it seemed more likely that the majority of them would be like Old Town. 

“I must have thought about it.” Evan said, trying to remember. 

“Would you want to cross it now? After everything that has happened? I know I would consider it. Why fight when we can just sneak away? We could get far away from here.” Jonathan thought about all the possibilities, about what could be out there. 

“No. There is still work that needs to be done here. I couldn't live with myself if we left and New Town was still ruining people's lives with machines.” Evan sounded angry, the red glow seeming as angry as his voice. “I don’t know if I could leave Tyler, Lui and Brock either.” He said more softly.

“What about after that?” 

“Maybe...But I wouldn't be able to really experience it. I’m floating in space, only able to see light. I can hear and talk...But that isn't really close what it’s like to be human, is it?” Evan asked. He paused, making Jonathan wonder if he had to answer that but he had no idea what to say. “Maybe if you were with me, I would go. We’re both trapped but somehow we set each other free.” Evan mused. Jonathan could hear the smile in his voice. 

“I think you are still human. Your original human parts have just been...replaced with something more mechanical.” Jonathan said after a moment, struggling to think of the right words to say. “Does a human have to have a body to be human or does someone just need to have a consciousness to be human? If you ask me, I would say just a consciousness is needed to be human.”

“Tyler and the others wouldn’t say that. They would say that I’m a machine. That I’m not me.” Evan’s smiling tone had become sad. Jonathan shook his head, holding the Vanoss-III close as if hugging it. 

“You are you. You aren’t a machine.” He reassured him. 

“Of course you would say that.” Evan said, the joking tone back in his voice though Jonathan wasn’t sure if he was happy or not when he said that. “Would you do it? Would you cross the bridge and get out of here?” Evan asked after a few moments of silence. 

“Well...I’ve seen New Town and I’ve seen Old Town. I want to see something new, something different than this and if that means crossing that bridge...then I think I would do it.” Jonathan decided. “I’d bring you with me.” Evan laughed, a soft musical like sound that startled Jonathan at first before he realized that it was laughter. 

“Good. I’m glad that you would bring me! I need someone to carry me around.” Evan giggled. Jonathan smiled, his arms wrapped tightly around the device as he shivered from the cold wind, the bridge above him creaking. He watched the sharp icicles fall to the river only to be caught up in the current and float down river.“You agreed to help Tyler and the Replaced...Why?” 

“Because I want to find out what happened to you, Evan.” Jonathan glanced down at the glowing red owl. It was still glitching occasionally, his voice sometimes not sounding as clear as it normally was. 

“Is that reason enough to destroy your home?” Evan asked after a moment. Before Jonathan could even try to answer that, the door to the apartments opened, Tyler, Brock, Lui and Luke stepping out into the snow. 

“Come on, Jon! We’re gonna go find the place that Evan was talking about!” Luke called out to him. Jonathan nodded, getting to his feet. He brushed the snow off his clothes, picking up the bag to put the Vanoss-III in. He was nervous to find the place where Evan had been taken, the worst possibilities running through his mind.  It didn’t help that Evan had made him wonder if finding out the truth was really worth it. 

“I’m gonna have to turn you off for now, Evan. I’ll talk to you later, okay?” Jonathan said quietly, trying to brush off Evan’s question. 

“Okay.” Evan said as Jonathan turned the device off, the red light fading away. He tucked the device into his bag, hurrying to catch up with the others. 

“Are you alright?” Luke asked when he caught up to him. Jonathan nodded, telling him he was just cold. Luke offered to give him his jacket but Jonathan refused. He didn’t want to meet Luke’s questioning glance, tucking his hands into his pockets, his gaze on the dark river. “So this place can’t be far from the factory. Evan said there were four bridges and street lights. It can’t be hard to find.” Luke said hopefully. Tyler glanced back at him, his scoff muffled through his scarf. 

“You’d be surprised. Almost every street in Old Town has bridges over them.” Tyler said, pulling down his scarf so they could hear him. 

“Why? Do the riots really get so big that they are all over the city?” Luke wondered. Tyler shrugged, letting out a sigh, his breath becoming a cloud a vapour before fading in the cold air. 

“Sometimes. The bridges just make it easier to get around and if need be, get to safety. Some places just have more bridges because it can get violent in those areas.” Tyler explained. “People there are always ready for a fight. Those places aren’t the safest places to be.” 

“What about the big bridge?” Jonathan asked, glancing over his shoulder at the bridge he and Evan had just been talking about. 

“What about it?” Brock asked. “People don’t use it at all. Haven’t for years.” 

“If you could though...would you go to the other side?” Jonathan asked. They laughed and shook their heads. Jonathan knew how they would answer that question but he couldn’t help but wonder. 

“No. Who the hell knows what is out there.” Lui said, looking across the river. “I’d rather stay here.” That was the end of it. Jonathan didn’t want to talk about it anymore. He stayed close to Luke and Tyler as they walked through the streets of Old Town. They were surprisingly busy despite the smoking ruins which served as a constant reminder that the planes from New Town could return carrying more bombs. 

As they got closer to the factory, they weren’t entirely certain where to start looking. Most of the streets had several bridges which they searched but found nothing. Tyler didn’t fail to mention several times that Evan went missing a year ago and that there would be nothing left which only made Jonathan feel angry for agreeing to help him. He still had to tell Luke about his choice to help the Replaced in order to find out what happened to Evan but he was nervous of how he would react to it.

Luke had less reason to want to turn on New Town than Jonathan did. He just tagged along because he wanted adventure, to satisfy his curiosity. He wasn’t here because he cared about Evan like Jonathan did. He wanted to know the truth, but Jonathan wasn’t so sure anymore what he wanted.  The way that Evan had asked if joining the Replaced was reason enough for finding out the truth made him wonder if Evan wanted to find out what happened to him. If so, then all of this would be for nothing. If only he listened to Evan before they left New Town when he said that he didn’t want to go back. 

“Oh shit.” Lui’s panicked voice startled Jonathan, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked up at Lui who was looking at something behind Jonathan with wide eyes. They were searching a small street, four bridges above them connecting the old buildings. The others turned, Jonathan glancing over his shoulder to see a dark government vehicle come to a stop at the end of the street. It’s blue headlights glowed off the snow in the same way that the Vanoss-III’s red lights had. The sleek black car seemed so out of place in Old Town, built entirely from things made in New Town. It had no place here. 

Lui stepped forward suddenly, grabbing Jonathan and Luke’s arms, pushing them into an open doorway to hide. Tyler and Brock were across the narrow street, ducking behind a few crates. They seemed scared, peeking over the crates with wide eyes. Jonathan noticed Tyler’s hand moving to the baton that hung from his belt, preparing to fight. Lui did the same, his other arm outstretched to stop Luke and Jonathan from stepping out into the street. 

“Why are we hiding? That’s just a car from New Town.” Luke whispered, peering around the wall. 

“That’s a car from New Town. They are probably looking for you two.” Lui hissed, pulling Luke back. “Don’t move. You’ll get us arrested if you do.” Jonathan’s hand tightened on the strap of his bag that carried the Vanoss-III, not entirely sure if his chills were from the cold or from nervousness. The car started to move again, driving away from the street. No one dared move, watching the car drive slowly past the street. Without any warning, Tyler got to his feet and ran after the car, his scarf waving in the cold wind behind him as if motioning to the others to follow. 

“Tyler!” Brock tried to grab Tyler as he got up, forced to  scramble to his feet to run after him. 

“What are you doing?” Lui cried, moving away from their hiding spot to run after them. Luke grabbed onto Jonathan’s sleeve, having to pull him along as they followed Lui. “Tyler! What are you doing? Are you crazy?” Lui cried when he caught up to Tyler. 

“Let’s follow it! See where it goes!” Tyler said as he ran after the car, ignoring the others as they yelled at him to stop. 

“We’re gonna get arrested or worse, killed! Tyler stop!” Brock yelled. “Stop!” 

“We’ll keep our distance just come on!” Tyler yelled, turning to look back at them over his shoulder. 

“What if it just goes to the checkpoint? We’ll get arrested if we go there!” Lui tried to reason with him, grabbing onto his arm to stop him. 

“What if it doesn’t? What if it goes somewhere else? You want to find out what happened to Evan, don’t you?” Tyler spat, pushing Lui’s hand off him. Lui and Brock stared at Tyler with a dark look, angry and offended that he would say that. “There is more to this than just a machine that talks like Evan! We aren’t gonna find out by asking him everything when he can’t remember it! Like Jonathan said! Like you said! We need to do something about it!” 

“Don’t use that as an excuse to go chasing after a New Town car!” Brock snapped. “We’re gonna get arrested!” 

“How else are we gonna find out? Isn’t that what you want?” Tyler cried. No one could think of anything to say to that. All they could do was follow Tyler and the car, fighting back the nervousness that told them to stop and to go back home. 

“It’s Tyler’s fault if we get killed.” Lui hissed. The car turned down another street, having to drive slow because of how busy the streets were. Some watched the car go by nervously, others brave enough to yell or throw things like stones or bricks that had once been a part of someone’s home at the  New Town car. They followed close behind, blending into the crowd of people on the street. Jonathan was glad he no longer had the polished shoes though that didn’t stop the jolt of fear that ran through him whenever an Old Towner watched him and Luke for too long, fearing that they would recognize them as New Towners. 

To their surprise, the car didn’t go to the checkpoint, instead continuing past it to a place that  strangely had no damage from the bombs. There wasn’t any damage at all. It seemed as though it was a part of New Town, the streets covered in unmarked snow, the buildings tall and unmarked by angry red spray paint, the windows left unbroken. There were only a few bridges connecting the buildings, though they seemed more for just walking across, not for fighting police machines.  

They stuck to the sides of the road, trying to pretend that they weren’t following the car. It stopped out front of one of the buildings which looked like a simple apartment building, though the glowing blue button beside the door which opened it suggested that it had more to do with New Town. 

Tyler continued forward when the others stopped, Brock’s hand grabbing his wrist to stop him. “Wait...Let's see who gets out of the car before we go charging in.” Brock said quietly, his eyes on the car.  They pretended to be occupied with talking to each other, glancing over their shoulders at the car as two men dressed in dark suits and polished shoes got out and headed towards the door. 

“Easy.” Tyler moved forward before they could stop him, sprinting the short distance between them and the door.  He wrapped his arm in a chokehold around one of the men, grabbing the silver gun that was on the man’s belt. He held the gun up to the man’s head, threatening the other that he would shoot. “Open the door. Now.” Tyler growled, the others catching up to him. The other man nodded, his hands shaking as he used a keycard to unlock to the door. 

Once the door was open, Lui took the gun from the other man, one hard hit with the heavy weapon in his hand to knock him out. He let Jonathan, Brock and Luke go in first, following close with the gun held in his hands. Tyler knocked the other man out, leaving him and the other just inside the door, taking the keycard and the gun. 

“Tyler what are we doing here?” Jonathan whispered, looking around the white coloured office building. It felt like he had gone back to New Town, everything bright, white and mechanical. It was such a stark contrast to what was just outside. “We didn’t think this through…” 

“We are seeing if there is anything about Evan and the Vanoss Project here.” Tyler answered with as much certainty, walking slowly down the hallway. Lui, Tyler and Brock seemed very nervous by the whole atmosphere of the place. They were not used to the bright, clean colour of the floor and walls, the harsh lights and the doors that would slide open with the push of a button. 

They started by glancing into some of the rooms, finding nothing but offices. Oddly, there was no one in the building, the silence heavy and eerie. They went down a set of clear coloured stairs which made Lui, Tyler and Brock nervous but Luke and Jonathan weren’t phased, the architecture nothing new to them. 

The hall at the bottom of the stairs was lined with solid white doors with  small gaps in them to look inside at the white cell like rooms. It felt like a prison, a tense feeling coming over Jonathan as he glanced into some of the small rooms.  The door at the end of the hall was the only one left open, the room it opened onto an exact replica of the room that Jonathan would sit in to test robots back in New Town. On the white table was a small computer, not hard at all for Jonathan to get on to. He sat down on the clear chair, needing only a few moments to get on the computer, opening some of the files to see what was on them. One folder had the same owl logo that was on the Vanoss-III, the same one that would light up every time that Evan spoke. He clicked on it, opening it see a list of other smaller files. 

“These are video files.” Jonathan said quietly, catching the other’s attention. The files were named with similar titles, all of which making Jonathan nervous. “Project one. Project Two. Project Three…” He read, the list continuing down to twenty. 

“Click the first one.” Tyler said, pointing to the file named Project One. They crowded around Jonathan’s chair as he clicked on the file, the video opening on the screen. A young man sat across from the same table they were sitting at now, looking at the camera that would have been where they were sitting with big, nervous eyes. His hands were cuffed together, the heavy metal keeping them down on the white table. 

“State your name please.” Said a voice from behind the camera. To Tyler, Lui and Brock, the voice must have sounded like a machine but to Luke and Jonathan, the voice sounded human. That was how people in New Town sounded, blank, calm and proper, as if programmed. 

“My name is Anthony.” The man in the video was trying to stay calm, his eyes casting around the room as if looking for a way out. 

“You are from Old Town?” 

“Yes. Where am I? What’s going on?” Anthony cried, sounding panicked. “Let me out of here!” 

“Please calm down. We aren’t going to hurt you, Anthony. Please don’t ask anymore questions.” The voice said sternly. “You have been selected to be a part of the Vanoss Project based on your personality and will. How do you feel about New Town and being a part of their project?” 

“They can go to hell.” Anthony spat. “Every single one of them. Fuck your project.” 

“Not a friendly person then. How do you feel about consciousness?” The voice asked. Anthony stared at whoever was behind the camera asking the questions with confusion.

“W-What? What kind of question is that? Consciousness is what makes us function. We’re aware of stuff. What does that have to do with anything?” Anthony cried, trying to get out of his handcuffs again. 

“Answer the questions. Do not ask them.” The voice said, remaining calm. “How would you feel if your consciousness was put into a machine?” 

“Horrible! I’d want to die!” Anthony yelled. 

“Try the next one.” Lui said much to Jonathan’s relief. His heart went out to Anthony who seemed so angry and confused. The next one, Project Two, was a young woman whose voice was quiet and she answered the questions with some confusion but how anyone would. The next one, Project Three, opened when the Project Two video finished, filling the screen. 

Sitting at the white table, just across from them but in the past, Evan stared at the camera, his dark eyes glancing nervously from the lens to the person behind the camera. He wore his red and white jacket, his face looking pale against the harsh red colour. 

“State your name.” The voice said like it had said before. 

“Evan.” He said quietly, his eyes going down to the silver handcuffs around his wrists. 

“You are from Old Town?” 

“Yes. I live near the big bridge.” Evan looked back up at the camera. Jonathan stared at the screen with wide eyes, not wanting to look up at the others who were possibly feeling the same mix of emotions that he was. He couldn’t think, only stare at the screen. 

“You have been selected to be a part of the Vanoss Project based on your personality and will. Though looking through your record, you destroyed a police machine in the past. That is something that no one else has done before. How do you feel about that?” The voice asked. Evan didn’t answer, his eyes going back down to the handcuffs. He seemed to be watching the way that the light reflected off the metal, not wanting to think about how he could answer that. “Please answer the question, Mr.Fong.” Evan’s eyes snapped back up at the mention of his last name. He hadn’t said it before a look of nervousness flashing across his face.

“It had it coming. Those machines hurt people in Old Town. How could I stand by and let people get hurt?” Evan snapped. “Why did you handcuff me? Do you think I’m gonna break more machines?” 

“Only answer the questions. Do not ask them.” The voice snapped. Evan leaned back in his chair, surprised that the voice yelled at him. “How do you feel about consciousness?” 

“It’s...It’s being aware. Aware of choices we make and the consequences of them; good or bad. Our consciousness is who we are. It makes us us.” Evan said after a moment. “We’re conscious when we are awake. When we’re aware of the world. It’s what makes us human.” 

“How would you feel if your consciousness was placed into a machine?” The voice asked. Evan seemed like he was going to question the question but didn’t say anything. He looked back down at the handcuffs, struggling against the cuffs for a few moments. 

“It would be...restricting.” Evan answered, his eyes on the metal binding his hands together. “I guess it would depend on what kind of machine. I would want to be able to move, to be able to hug my friends, and continue about my life without needing someone to carry me around like the tablets some of those factories make.” He added. He paused, not sure if he was happy with that answer. Jonathan felt guilty, his gaze going down to the bag hanging at his side with the Vanoss-III inside. “I want to be able to go places. To be able to see the world and live my life. I’ve seen what those police machines do and it would be hard for me to imagine being in a machine when people are hurt by them everyday in Old Town. So no...No I wouldn’t want that.” Evan decided, shaking his head. “That isn’t a life worth living.” 

“If you were to disappear, would you be missed?” The voice asked. Evan stared at whoever was asking the questions, not sure of what to say. 

“I-I...I think so. I like to think so.” Evan said after a moment of silence. 

“Thank you, Mr.Fong for answering this first initial set of questions. You will be brought to New Town for further progress of the Vanoss Project.” The voice said, the video ending before they could see Evan’s reaction. Jonathan leaned back in his chair, his hands going to the bag to hold it close. No one could say anything, only stare at the chair across the table where Evan had sat a just a year earlier.

“He was here.” Tyler said, breaking the long silence. “Then they took him to New Town and god knows what happened.”

“There were others...so many of them.” Lui looked through the list of video files, going all the way to Project Twenty. 

“They didn’t even call them by their names. They called them ‘Projects.’” Luke sounded disgusted. “They are people not projects.” 

“That isn’t how New Town sees them. You know that, Luke.” Jonathan said after a moment, his voice quiet and shaking.  He couldn’t find it in himself to not feel guilty. His father and his company was responsible for this. He was starting to get the feeling that this did not end well for Evan. How could it when all he was to these people was ‘Project Three’? 

He told himself not to think about it, glancing up at the others. “Those guys are gonna wake up soon. We need to leave. There isn’t anything else left to find  except whatever is in New Town now.” Jonathan pushed the chair back, getting to his feet. Tyler led the way, holding his stolen gun tightly. He made a comment about how he had never held one before in an attempt to lighten the heavy mood but no one laughed. 

They reached the lobby, the harsh light starting to hurt Jonathan's eyes. He needed to get out of this place, away from that hallway lined with cells and that interview room. The Vanoss-III felt heavier in his bag, Evan’s voice running through his mind. All Evan had wanted was to live his life, to be free and have peace. All he got was a machine that made his life not worth living anymore. 

The loud wail of a siren startled them, making them freeze up where they stood. For a moment, they thought it was coming from inside, but the echo of it made them realise it was coming from outside. 

“The planes...They are coming back.” Brock breathed, barely heard over the siren. 

“We can’t go out onto the street. We’re walking targets if we do!” Lui cried. 

“There is a bridge connecting this building to the one across the street. We can move faster that way.” Tyler took the lead as they ran back to the staircase, heading upstairs past the offices towards the door at the end of the hall. Lui used his keycard to unlock the door which slid open with the sound of gears. A cold gust of wind blew snow into the hall, sending shivers through the group. The siren was now loud, nothing muffling it’s wail now that the door was open. Jonathan resisted the urge to cover his ears. 

Once through the door, Jonathan grabbing onto Luke’s arm as they hurried across, getting into the other building which was also oddly empty of people, the white offices just like the one in the other building. 

“It's like they were warned about the bombs.” Luke whispered though there was no need to. 

“Not surprised. Those New Towners wanna get out of dodge before they destroy the place. Don't care bout Old Towner’s lives.” Tyler spat. Jonathan wanted to point out that he and Luke cared but they weren't really New Towners anymore. He wasn't sure what they were anymore. 

Jonathan didn't have time to think about it, forced to run if he was to stay close to Tyler and the others. They could hear rumbles over the sound of the siren, smoke and fire rising into the sky. The bridges shook as the bombs hit the ground, the wood and metal not stable under their feet. Jonathan often found himself grabbing onto whoever was closest for support, trying to stop himself from looking down several stories to the street below. 

They were getting close to the river, moving quickly along the bridges that were still standing, pushing through the crowds of frantic people. Jonathan struggled to breathe, having never had to run so much before. He stumbled to a stop at one of the bridges, trying to catch his breath. 

“Wait…” He called out to Brock who was just in front of him. He turned, running back over to him. 

“Come on, Jonathan. We’re almost back to the apartment.” Brock encouraged him, sounding out of breath himself. Across the bridge, Luke noticed that they had stopped, turning around to head back to them. “Only a few more bridges to go then we’re there!” 

“They’re coming back!” Someone screamed over the siren, the sound of planes and the shriek of bombs falling through the air becoming louder. Jonathan looked up at the planes, seeing them flying low over the building towards the bridge he stood in front of.  His eyes moved to Luke who had stopped when he heard the scream, his head turning to see the planes coming towards him. 

“Luke!” Jonathan screamed, stepping toward him with an outstretched hand.  His scream caught Luke’s attention, turning his gaze away from the planes to Jonathan. He broke into a run, reaching for Jonathan’s hand. 

He couldn't outrun the plane. The plane flew close to bridge, throwing Luke to the floor of the bridge as he ducked. He hit the wood with force,  the bridge shaking under him. He managed to get to his feet, only to be thrown back down as the force of an explosion went off on the street several stories below the bridge. Pieces of stone, metal and wood flew through the air, the shockwave throwing Jonathan back, crashing into Brock behind him. 

“Jonathan!” Luke screamed in horror as the bridge cracked and fell apart under him. He managed to hold onto the broken jagged side, trying to not look down at his dangling feet and the burning, rubble covered street below. Jonathan scrambled to get up, his ears ringing. His back was hurting again, the pain making it a struggle to stay focused as he reached for Luke. 

“I got you! I got you!” Jonathan cried, reaching for his hand. Luke stared at him with big eyes, his arms shaking from the strain of trying to keep himself on the bridge. The wood creaked and groaned under Jonathan's weight as he moved across it towards Luke. “I got you.” He managed to grab onto Luke’s right hand, struggling to pull him over the edge. The wood cracked, breaking apart under Jonathan’s feet. 

In his panic as he started to fall, his hand shot out to grab onto the railing, his gloves slipping on the metal. Luke’s grip tightened on his other hand, the wood that he had been holding onto now falling to street below. He reached up to grab onto Jonathan’s wrist, the movement loosening Jonathan’s grip. Luke’s eyes went wide as he started to fall, reaching desperately for Jonathan who could only watch helplessly as he fell to the street below. Blood splattered onto the snow, as dark as the burning wood and brick. 

A loud wail echoed in Jonathan’s ears, not realising that the pain filled sound was coming from him. Brock wrapped his arms around him, pulling him away from the edge. On the other side of the broken bridge, Tyler and Lui stared with wide eyes, unable to do anything. Jonathan continued to wail, tears streaming down his face. He struggled against Brock, wanting to run down to Luke’s broken body. He knew that he could have saved him if only he was stronger, if only he could have pulled him over the edge. If only he had listened. 


	8. Chapter 8

Jonathan had never hated snow so much before. It made him sick to see the snowflakes falling to the muddy streets covered in rubble and blood. He found it hard to think about much else, so weighed down with grief.

He had laid in his cot, unable to move since Brock, Lui and Tyler dragged him away from Luke’s body. He had screamed and cried the whole way back to the apartment, tears falling down his cold cheeks. He had struggled against them, wanting to run back to Luke. He had believed that he was still alive, that he was going to wake up and wonder where Jonathan had gone. He would wonder why he had left him alone in such a horrible place. They didn’t listen to him, only pulled him through the snow, and tried not to get angry when he hit or screamed at them.

Now, all he could do was lay on his cot and watch the snowfall outside the window, anger and grief making him feel numb. He couldn’t stop thinking about Luke’s hand slipping from his and the scream that had echoed around the street and in his ears before it was silenced abruptly with a splatter of blood and the cracking of bone.

At first, he wanted to blame himself. He blamed himself for not being strong enough to hold onto Luke. He couldn’t pull him over the edge of the rotting, wet wood as it cracked under his feet. He couldn’t even keep himself up on the bridge, having to be pulled back by Brock. He blamed himself for not listening to Evan when he said that he didn’t want to go back to Old Town. He could have stopped all of this, be safe in his own room with his tiny robots walking back and forth on his desk. Luke would be alive, never having fallen to his death as bombs went off.

Yet as his tears turned from ones of sadness to anger, he started to blame New Town. He blamed his father for being so inconsiderate of human lives, to allow the Vanoss Project to happen and for Evan to become a machine. It all went back to New Town. Every death, every disappearance. It all went back to the glowing towers with their white rooms and the people who lived in those white rooms, seeming to be programmed themselves to be perfect just like their machines.

Jonathan hated it. He hated that he had been a part of it and how ignorant it had made him. Now all he wanted was to make them fall the same way that they had made Luke fall.

Yet the pain, both physical and emotional, was too much to try to move from his warm bed. A few candles filled the old dirty room with light that flickered as cold drafts of air came in, bringing with it the smell of smoke from outside.

The sound of footsteps caught his attention, his gaze turning to Brock who walked into the room quietly. He glanced at Jonathan who turned his eyes away quickly, not wanting to talk to him or anyone else. Brock sighed, crossing the room to the bookshelf where he took the box with Evan’s name written on it, sitting down on the floor beside Jonathan’s bed. He watched as Brock took the toy soldiers out of the box, placing them on the pillow beside Jonathan’s head.

“What are you doing?” Jonathan asked, his throat  still hoarse, hurting with every breath.

“Protecting you from the bad thoughts.” Brock gave him a small smile. “It’s what Evan would do if he could.” Brock said, playing with one of the soldiers. Jonathan knew he was trying to make him feel better, almost making him  feel bad that he just wanted to be alone.

“I’m fine.” Jonathan lied, Brock seeing right through it. He was expecting Brock to get up and leave, but he stayed still, holding the toy soldier tightly.

“You sound like Evan did.” He finally said. Jonathan’s brow furrowed in confusion, not sure what he meant. “When we bailed Evan outta jail when he got arrested for killing that machine...He cried the whole way home and for days afterwards. We thought he was just delirious or something you know...He had been through so much in a short span of time. He kept saying he was fine when he clearly wasn’t.” Brock held one of the soldiers in his hand, not saying anything for a few moments. He only stared at it, as if seeing something that Jonathan could not. “He also kept repeating over and over that he had failed. That he was a failure. He didn't say why when we tried to ask, just kept repeating it.” He said, setting the toy soldier back down. “Finally, when I asked him again a few weeks after he started to get better...He told me that he that there had been so many people in that prison, young and old. Some were in pain, he said. He thought he was a failure because he couldn't save them.” Jonathan looked down at the toy soldier, thinking of a young Evan, playing with the soldiers and hating the world that had cursed him to such a sad existence.

Just like him, he had been so full of anger at how unfair it was. New Town and the machines had taken everything from Evan and now they had taken everything from Jonathan. He had lost his only friend, now living in a world with strangers who pretended that they knew him. He figured that that must be how Evan felt now, trapped in a machine carried around by people who think that what they are doing is the right thing.

“Is this supposed to make me feel better?” Jonathan asked a bit more sharply than he intended.

“I asked Evan how he could have saved those people. He couldn't think of anything to say other than going after New Town. He said that if he had been stronger, if he had been more brave, he would have fought more for them. What I’m trying to say is that you aren't alone. Luke might be gone and I know he was your best friend, but you aren't alone. You will never be. You can't blame yourself for something that you can't control, for something that you aren't able to do on your own. This isn't your fault.” Brock explained. Jonathan stared at him, unable to stop the tears that fell from his eyes.

“How can you be so okay with this? You...You saw Luke fall and his body...All of the blood.” Jonathan's shoulders shook with a sob, his voice catching in his throat.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve seen someone fall from one of those bridges.” He answered, leaning against the bed. Jonathan didn’t want to pry, seeing the sad look in Brock’s eyes. “My friend...He uh...Got pushed off one of the bridges. It was his birthday. We went out to celebrate. My idea. We got drunk and he started running his mouth to the wrong people. Then this guy threw a punch...I still remember hearing my friend’s jaw crack. I couldn't stop it.” He stopped, taking a shaky breath. “He got thrown over the rail of a fifth story bridge as if he was nothing, the guy who did it having no regrets about it. He even threatened me with throwing me over. I don't know how long I stood at the rail, staring down...We’ve all lost people. That's what life is in Old Town. We fight and wait for our time to be up. For the longest time, Tyler didn't get close to anyone because he was...no... he still is so scared of losing them. It’s a part of our lives that until New Town is destroyed, is just gonna keep on happening.” The room descended in silence, the candles casting their shadows onto the wood walls.

He remembered what Lui had said, about how life in New Town was so great because there was the guarantee that people can live their lives safely. He and Luke never should have taken that for granted, so ignorant of how horrible things were just on the other side of the checkpoint.  

He rubbed his eyes, trying to stop the tears the continued to flow. It didn't help to hear Brock’s stories despite his good intentions. Finally, Brock got up, giving him another small smile before leaving him alone with his thoughts and his anger.

 

Days passed, the pain becoming number and number. Jonathan slept most of the time, the only way to keep his mind from thinking about Luke’s death and the future. When he was awake, he would lay in his cot with the Vanoss-III on, the red glow filling the candle lit room though he was hardly able to say anything to Evan.

“Is it still snowing?” Evan had asked once, trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t upset Jonathan.

“Yeah…” Jonathan nodded, glancing up at the window with disgust. It was still snowing only slightly, the cold air that came through the drafts make him shiver under the scratchy blanket.

He didn’t have it in him to tell Evan how he really felt about the snow now, fearing that it would only upset him. Evan still loved the snow, finding it to be one of the most beautiful things the world had to offer.

“Jonathan...I’m sorry.” Evan had said quietly. Jonathan looked away from the window to the glowing red owl on the screen, unable to stop the annoyed sigh. He was sick of pitying apologies for his loss.

“Don’t-”

“No. Don’t tell me not to say it! I’m sorry! I have a part in this too! This isn’t your fault! You did what you could!” Evan cried, the screen glitching as he spoke.

“I watched him die, Evan! I watched my best friend die when I could have saved him! Don’t you dare tell me that this your fault. And don’t you fucking dare say that you are sorry again. I fucked up. Not you.” Jonathan snapped, resisting the urge to throw the device across the room in anger.

“I understand how that feels, Jonathan! I am not a machine!” Evan yelled. “If you want to sit there and hate everyone who is just trying to be there for you, then fuck you!” The Vanoss-III glitched aggressively as his voice raised, the red glow darkening as he spoke.

“How can you fucking help me when you are like this? You are a damn machine.” Jonathan snarled. He had regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. Evan didn’t say anything, not seeming to know how to respond to the harsh words. “I didn’t mean…”

“Turn me off. Turn off this damn machine.” Evan snapped, mimicking what Jonathan had just said. He could do nothing but listen to him, the red light fading as he turned it off. He set the Vanoss-III down on the floor quickly, fearing that he was going to throw it or anything else in anger. He couldn’t risk breaking the Vanoss-III. He couldn’t lose Evan too.

 

As time went on, Jonathan’s anger towards New Town only got worse the longer he thought about it. It hurt, growing with the numb, heavy feeling in his chest that made it hard to breathe sometimes, so weighed down with pain and grief.

He couldn’t bring himself to talk to Evan about it, scared that he would only end up in a fight with him again. He didn't want to hear him yell at him again, and he didn't want to hear him say that he was sorry again. He had to find someone else to talk to who would understand his anger. Someone who would be just as angry, if not more.

So once he finally found himself able to get the courage, he pushed himself out of his bed, walking quietly down the cold, dark hallway to Tyler's room. The door had been left open a little, allowing Jonathan to push it open. He winced when it creaked, the dim light coming from the living room and the street lamps outside illuminating the room. He was able to make out the things thar Tyler had in the dim light, such as the shelf full of books that had been worn, their spines cracked and tearing. Above them on the top was a row of old photos, not taken with the cameras that Jonathan knew. Evan was in most of the pictures, smiling with his arms around Tyler and Brock in one of the pictures or quiet and peaceful as he walked through the snow in another.

“T-Tyler?” Jonathan whispered, his eyes moving away from the pictures to the bed where Tyler was asleep, the faded scratchy blankets pulled over his head. “Tyler? I need to talk to you.” Jonathan reached nervously towards him only to jump back when Tyler rolled over, yawning as he sat up.

“What is it?” He yawned, squinting at Jonathan in the dim light.

“Before...Before Luke died, I made you a promise that we...I, would help you take down New Town.” Jonathan sat down on the bed, noticing the small teddy bear that sat on the bedside table, arms outstretched for a hug.

“Don't tell me you wanna back out of it.” Tyler warned.

“No. I’m so angry, Tyler. The only way it’s gonna stop is if I do something about it.” Jonathan explained, his hands curling into fists. “New Town killed Luke and they took Evan.”

“What do you want to do then?” Tyler asked, lighting the candle on the bedside table by the teddy bear. Tyler's sleepy face was illuminated by the warm light, his eyes looking red and dry from crying. Jonathan was shocked to see it, the thought occurring to him that Tyler must keep so much bottled up, only able to let it out when alone. Tyler rubbed his eyes, both of them pretending they hadn't noticed.

“I wanna join your cause. I wanna fight back.” Jonathan cried.

“Kid, just cause you lost someone close to you doesn't mean you can go throw yourself at a police machine and think you're getting revenge. That is how you end up dead.” Tyler sighed. Jonathan felt bad for waking him up. He looked so tired. Tired with dealing with all of this. He needed to rest.

“I don't wanna fight a police machine. I can't do what Evan did, but I can bring New Town down. I know how.” Jonathan rephrased himself. Tyler seemed to wake up at his words, sitting up straighter and stared at him with wide eyes.

“How?” Tyler demanded. “Is there a kill switch for all machines or something?”

“No. Not really. My father is paranoid. He’d never do that. However, at the head office in New Town, there is a room with this very advanced computer, like a database for almost every machine but it's impossible to get to if you aren't supposed to be there. If it’s destroyed, the machines start going a bit...haywire. There are other computers like this one in other offices all over New Town and possibly Old Town and if the big one goes down then those ones are gonna be heavily guarded. It’ll be difficult but if it works...It’s gonna be hard for New Town to fight back if their police machines aren't functioning.” Jonathan smiled.

“How come you never mentioned this before?” Tyler asked, crossing his arms. He didn't seem to believe Jonathan.

“I...I didn't think it was relevant. I thought we were just going to bring Evan back and then me and Luke were gonna go home. He kept our school uniforms in his bag because that is where he thought we would go after we got back from here. He thought we would only be one night here.” Jonathan's voice broke, looking down at the faded purple blanket. “So did I.” The silence that followed his words was long and heavy.

“So we’re going to New Town then.” Tyler finally said. “You’re gonna have to get me a pair of polished shoes.”

 

Planning took a lot longer than Jonathan had thought it would. He was  ready to storm across the checkpoint and do this himself, but Tyler refused. This had to be something that Old Town did. Evan had thought the same when Jonathan told him about their plan.

“Who are you doing this for? For you because you want revenge? Or Old Town who has been oppressed for nearly a hundred years because of those machines?” Evan had wondered.  

“This is for Old Town.” Jonathan had answered without pausing to think. “Why would you ask that?”

“Everyone has their reasons. I’m wondering what your’s are. Like you said before, you have to do what is right.” Evan’s question, like most of his questions had, stayed with him long after the conversation was over. He told himself that it was for Old Town and it’s people, but he couldn’t deny how angry he was, how much he wanted to get revenge for Luke and Evan. He wondered why Evan couldn’t understand that.

Just when he was starting to forget about the question due to being so wrapped up in planning for the attack on New Town, Evan’s question was brought to his attention again when Tyler took him to meet with a group of Replaced who would be helping them. The meeting was in one of their small, old apartments, close to where Luke had died. Jonathan had teared up at the sight of the street when they passed it, his eyes on the spot where it had happened. The snow had covered the blood, but the bridge was still broken, a gaping hole in the middle, the edges jagged and frosted over.

“Don’t look at it.” Brock had said quietly, pulling Jonathan away from the street. The apartment had been cold, making Jonathan keep his worn coat on. He had been given the coat from Lui, who said it was just an extra but Jonathan wondered if it had been Evan’s since it seemed to be too big for Lui and too small for Tyler and Brock.

“Who is this?” A blonde woman had demanded when they arrived, pointing to Jonathan who stayed close to Brock.

“Jonathan. I told you about him. He can help us, Sydney.” Tyler said, taking off his jacket as he sat down on a creaky wooden chair.

“He don’t look like one of us.” A man with a thick accent said from across the room. “He looks like a New Towner. What has he got in that bag? Some kind of device that's spyin on us? Or is it some kind of weapon?” Jonathan’s hand curled around the strap of his bag, the Vanoss-III inside.

“That isn’t important.” Lui warned. “What is is that we need to get this plan into action. Jonathan is the one who came up with it. We need to know that you will be there to help us with it.”

“How can we trust someone from New Town to help us?” Sydney cried. “You took Evan! You killed him!”

“Evan is not dead! I just want to fucking help!” Jonathan yelled back, not meaning to raise his voice in the way that he did. The group stared at him with wide eyes, Jonathan muttering a quiet apology when Tyler narrowed his eyes slightly for talking to Sydney like that.

“Remind us. What is this plan?” The man with an accent who Jonathan later found out was named Daithi, asked.

“It must be something special if it was created by someone from New Town.” Another man said, his name Craig. As he spoke, he moved across the room to sit on the table by Tyler who looked up at him with a smile before glancing at Jonathan.

“There is a computer in the main office that if destroyed, will cause the machines to malfunction. Not destroy them, but it will cause some damage. This computer controls most if not all commands for the machines. It tells them what to do. If there isn’t any control or command, they can’t function. If we get into the office and destroy the computer, New Town will be defenseless. It’s ours.” Jonathan explained, minding his town.

“Not yours. Old Town’s.” Sydney snapped.

“It’s a good plan. Though how do you plan to get through the checkpoint and New Town? It ain’t defenseless till that computer is destroyed.” Craig asked, glancing at Tyler who had already talked with Jonathan about this.

“I know a way to get over it. A small group goes with me to get over it. We attack the checkpoint from the New Town side because there are only three guards stationed there. We get it open and the main group can go through. I know the way to the office. I lived there so I know it inside and out. I just want to help you, that’s all. My friend has been killed by those bombs sent by New Town.” Jonathan explained.

“So are you doing this because your friend died or are you doing this for us?” Sydney asked, narrowing her eyes at him. “Thousands of us have been killed by New Town.”

“I know that!” Jonathan cried, reminded of Evan’s question. The argument had continued, Lui and Brock trying to vouch for him. It was Tyler who convinced the group to join them and the hundreds of others who had already joined their cause. On the way back home, Jonathan had wondered about Sydney and who she was to Evan. “Does Sydney know Evan?” Jonathan asked Lui as they walked across a wobbly bridge that made him nervous.

“She was pretty close to him.” Lui answered as they reached the end of the bridge. “I’d say she loves him.”

“Do you think that she would still love him now...as a machine?” Jonathan wondered. “What if he can’t remember her? I’m sure that he felt the same way about her.”

“She’s always been so passionate about hating New Town. I don’t know...Thinking about this makes me sad.” Lui said quietly.  Jonathan didn’t bring it up again, feeling the same heavy sadness that Lui must be feeling as well. Sydney loved the old Evan, the one who could hold her close, kiss her forehead and make her smile with a single look. It made him wonder if she could love the new Evan who was now just a voice in the same way that he did.

 

The night of attack arrived faster than Jonathan had expected it too. He had one last conversation with Evan, the cold wind nipping at his cheeks above his scarf, his hands trembling more from nervousness than with cold. He had wanted to tell him about Sydney and about how he felt for Evan but he decided it would be best to keep it to himself. His conversation ended when Tyler said it was time to go.

They armed themselves with batons and the guns that they had stolen from the guards. Jonathan dressed in his blue school uniform though refused to change into his polished shoes. He gave Luke’s uniform to Tyler who looked uncomfortable in the expensive blue suit. He had no other choice since he was to go with Jonathan into the office and needed to blend in.

“How can you wear this?” Tyler asked as they walked through the snow towards the meeting place. “It’s so uncomfortable.”

“You get used to it.” Jonathan said though his thoughts were elsewhere. He didn’t want to go back to New Town and face his father after everything that he had been through. He knew it was something that had to be done, but his anxiety only continued to rise as they got closer, his thoughts loud and uncontrollable. He wanted to go back to his warm cot and talk to Evan about the snow and the beauty of the world. For such a long time, it had been hard  for Jonathan to see the beauty that Evan did. Evan allowed him to see it, as if he had been blind all his life and a miracle gave him the gift of sight. Yet as much as he would rather stay ignorant, Evan deserved the truth. Luke deserved the truth. “Tyler...are you scared?” Jonathan asked, wanting to know that he wasn't alone.  

“I’d be stupid if I wasn’t.” Tyler said though he still smiled. Jonathan was glad he smiled. “We’re here.” The street opened onto a large square, bridges crisscrossing above them. People, young and old, had gathered, prepared to fight with all they had. They were armed with only the basic weapons, nothing like the guns that Tyler and Lui had. Jonathan’s fear rose, knowing that it would be almost impossible to fight against the police machines like this.

Yet Tyler and the others were still confident, leading them towards the checkpoint. Jonathan saw Sydney through the crowd, who glanced at him and Tyler in their blue New Town suits and gave them a look of disgust. He wanted to go to her and give her the Vanoss-III. She just wanted to hear Evan’s voice again and he could give her that. He started to walk towards, her, only to be caught by Tyler, pulling him back. “Not now, Jon.” He warned, glancing through the crowd to the blonde, sad girl.

Once everyone was ready, the small group of ten, including Jonathan, Tyler, Lui and Brock and the group of people that Jonathan had met not long before, headed to the same place where Jonathan and Luke had crossed over from New Town. Jonathan lead the way, pulling himself up to the roof of the building. The others had to stop, staring with wide eyes at the glowing, beautiful towers of New Town and the big snowflakes that fell from the sky to the perfect streets. They had never seen anything like it before, the same way that Jonathan had never seen anything like Old Town before.

“It’s beautiful…” Craig said from where he stood beside Tyler. He held his hand out, catching the snowflakes in his gloved hand. “It’s so perfect.”

“Everything in New Town is like that. Ignorant of the beauty of human life but the city itself must always be beautiful to New Towners.” Jonathan explained, heading towards the fire escape.

“Not anymore.” Tyler said darkly. Jonathan glanced back at him through the falling snow, admiring his bravery. They made their way down the metal fire escape that  seemed so similar to the bridges of Old Town.

As they headed down, Jonathan wondered if he would have passed his test that he had the day after they left for Old Town, wondering if he could have lived with himself if he didn’t go searching for the truth about Evan. Something told him that he wouldn’t have been able to.

Once they got close to the checkpoint, Jonathan stopped, glancing nervously at Tyler who loaded his gun, his eyes on the three guards who were by the large metal door, oblivious to the massive crowd of revolutionary Replaced on the other side.  

“Only three?” Lui asked.

“Only three.” Jonathan nodded. The gunshots that echoed through the quiet street made him jump, Tyler and Lui stepping forward with their guns raised. Jonathan turned away, sick at the sight of blood.

“Jon! Come on!” Tyler called as they ran towards the now unguarded checkpoint. Jonathan followed, keeping his eyes off the splatters of blood. The computer on the side of the thick cement wall required a key card, Jonathan sending Lui to go get one. He returned with the cards that the guards had on them, one swipe with one opening the door. With the groan of gears and locks opening, the heavy door opened, much to the amazement of the guards on the other side. Bullets flew through the air, gunshots sounding like cracks of thunder as the crowds of Old Towners ran towards the checkpoint, overwhelming the guards who were taken down with batons just like Evan had once before. Jonathan could imagine him here, his red and white jacket fluttering around him as he ran through the crowd, demanding his freedom.

“Take their guns! Take their weapons!” Daithi yelled over the roar of the crowd. As much as Jonathan wanted to stay with the massive crowd, he and Tyler had to get to the office to destroy the computer.

“Tyler! We have to go!” Jonathan yelled, grabbing onto his arm. Tyler nodded, following Jonathan as he ran down the street through the crowd of Old Towners that now brought their anger and their riots to New Town. Some had stopped in awe to look up at the glowing towers, most just wanting to destroy it no matter how beautiful it was.

Windows were smashed, molotovs thrown, and police machines arriving as quickly as the Old Towners had to try to push them back. Jonathan turned a corner on to the narrow street to the blue tarp that hid Luke’s motorbike. It was now covered in snow which was shaken off as Jonathan pulled the tarp back.

“What is that?” Tyler asked, staring at the bike with wide eyes.

“Just get on.” Jonathan ordered as he got onto the bike, starting it up. The engine was slow to start, but soon it roared to life. Tyler hesitated before getting onto the bike, holding onto Jonathan. The bike sped through the streets lined with towers that reached to the sky as if trying to escape the hell that was now on their streets. In front of them, the office where Jonathan had once called home rose up in front of them, the tallest tower in all of New Town. Tyler’s eyes widened at the sight of it, trying to comprehend how tall it was.

“People can build that high? Are they trying to reach space?” Tyler called out over the sound of the engine.

“Wouldn’t surprise me!” Jonathan called back. They got closer to the tower, driving past fleets of police machines on their way to fight the rioting Old Towners. Seeing the riot shields, guns and batons they were armed with reminded Jonathan to hurry.

The bike skidded to a stop in the snow out front the office, the few guards at the door glancing at them but let them pass when they recognized the blue suits. “Whatever you do, don’t look like you’ve never seen anything like this before. Pretend this is nothing new.” Jonathan warned as they headed inside, his hand on the strap of his bag. Lui, Brock and the others would be heading this way soon, leading the crowds through the streets. He could only hope that they would make it.

Now it was Tyler who stayed close to Jonathan. He was clearly nervous, looking around at the white walls, clear staircases, and bright lights with big eyes. It was all so clean and new, nothing like Old Town. It was so perfect, that it put both of them on edge. They reached the elevator, avoiding the glances of some of the employees as they walked quickly towards it.  

“It’s on the thirtieth floor. We might need more than a key card to get to the computer but it’s manageable.” Jonathan reassured Tyler as they got in. The elevator suddenly stopped on the fifth floor, one that Jonathan had rarely went to since it was just offices.

At least that was what he had thought but the doors slide open to reveal a hallway that looked almost exactly like the one that had been in the building they had found in New Town. A woman in a white lab coat stepped into the elevator, waiting for the doors to close behind her. “What is this floor used for again?” Jonathan asked her curiously. She glanced at him, recognizing who he was and smiled. That’s what all employees did when they saw him, fearing his father the same way he did.

“For the Vanoss Project. I heard that you’re father gave you one of our devices. Have you been enjoying it?” The woman asked with her forced smile as the doors started to close. Jonathan didn’t answer, only stepping forward to stop the doors from closing. Tyler followed him as they left the elevator, the doors closing behind them.

“Jonathan? What are we doing? We can look here after we destroy the computer!” Tyler whispered.

“No...Evan is here.” Jonathan walked down the hall, his dirty combat boots making the smallest of noises. The rooms lining the hall were cells just like the ones that had been in the other building but smaller. Some of them didn’t even have the small windows in them,  meaning they must be solitary cells. At the end of the hall was not a interview room, but a room with a metal chair in the center with what looked like a large glowing helmet hanging from the ceiling above it, advanced computers with glowing blue chips just like the one in the Vanoss-III were to the side, a heavy locked door on the other side of the room. By the computers were other versions of the Vanoss-III, some labeled Vanoss-II or the Vanoss-I. “Copies…” Jonathan  breathed as he stared down at the machines. “They copied their consciousness.” He forced himself to move away from them, his eyes landing on the door.

While Tyler was staring at the chair and the helmet,  Jonathan made his way to the door, lifting up the manual metal barrier that kept the door closed. He pushed it open, hit with  a blast of cold air as if he has just stepped into a freezer. What he had stepped into was far worse.

“T-Tyler!” Jonathan called out weakly. In front of him, the room was lined bodies laid out on cold metal tables, white sheets drawn over them. Some of them he recognized from the  interview videos he had seen before.

“Oh my god…” Tyler breathed as he entered the room. “They’re all dead.” On their foreheads were small wounds, as if a nail had been driven in their skull. There was still dried blood still on their pale skin. As Jonathan stared at their wounds, his eyes caught a glimpse of black hair, a choked sob escaping his lips as he stumbled towards the body.

“No...No…” Jonathan breathed, staring down at Evan’s cold body. In the middle of his forehead like all the others was the same small wound, the blood dried where it had trickled down his face. A loud sob caught Jonathan’s attention, a pained, ugly sound that was filled with grief and anger. Tyler struggled to stay calm, sobs shaking his shoulders as he moved to the other side of the cold table.

“What did they do you…?” Tyler sobbed, reaching for Evan's cold hand. Jonathan rubbed the blood on Evan’s forehead away, so many thoughts running through his mind. “They didn't even bother to clean the blood off...They slaughtered them all like animals. And for what? A-A brain scan?” Tyler’s voice rose with anger, staring down at his closest friend.

“This means...This means that Evan in the Vanoss-III...is just a copy. They killed him once they copied his brain. They had no use for him anymore…” Jonathan’s voice broke. Tyler stood up, staring down at Evan.

“We don't have use for New Towners anymore.” Tyler said, angrier than Jonathan had ever heard him before. Tyler let go of Evan’s hand, leaving the room quickly as he wiped tears from his eyes. Jonathan looked down at Evan, gently pressing a kiss to his cold forehead.

“I’ll end this, Evan. I’ll make them pay for this. I promise.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all of the support! Just as a heads up, next chapter will be a bit different since it will be from Evan's POV. (Hope that isn't giving away too much about what next chapter will be about.)  
> Again, thank you so much for the support!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is from Evan's POV, and it might not add a whole lot to what is happening in the story currently but it brings a lot of closure and I believe that it is important to have. One more chapter to go after this one, including an epilogue! Thank you all so much for the support! I never thought this story would do well and it means a lot to me! Thank you!

**One Year Earlier**

 

The streets of Old Town were oddly quiet, though voices spilled from bars and homes above the streets, the bridges packed with people. There was a cold chill in the air that promised snow that would blanket the streets and smother the still burning fires. 

With his red and white jacket zipped up to block out the cold, Evan walked along the icy street, occasionally glancing up at the bridges. Though it was late at night, nearly two in the morning, there was still so many people out that if it weren’t for the dark sky, someone would think it was the middle of the day. From what he had heard, New Town was apparently lit and glowing all night and day but it was Old Town that never slept. A riot could happen at any time and most people wanted to be prepared when it happened even if it meant having little sleep. 

Evan just wanted to get home, walking quickly towards the big bridge. He glanced over his shoulder a few times, no one ever truly safe in Old Town. In his red jacket Evan stood out, daring enough to wear such a bright and angry colour. Tyler told him constantly not to wear it, fearing that he would get killed by people thinking he had money or be taken by police machines for being so revolutionary. Evan would have to reassure him that it he could handle himself, that he would be okay every time he left the apartment. Still, he gave in io Tyler’s request of carrying a baton with him every time he went out. He kept it hidden in his sleeve and hoped he would never have to use it outside of a riot. 

Keeping his mind off violence, he thought about home. He smiled, thinking about how Lui would have a warm cup of hot cocoa waiting for him when he got home and since he had the day off tomorrow, they would let him sleep, one or two of them possibly curling up beside him since he had the largest bed in the apartment. Evan didn’t mind the company, feeling safer than he normally did when Lui, Brock or even Tyler curled up beside him. 

Evan was snapped out of his happy thoughts by the sound of a car engine behind him. He turned, squinting his eyes as the bright blue headlights from the government car blinded him momentarily. Nervousness made him move to the side of the street, hoping that the car would continue past him. 

The car slowed as it approached him, the dark metal paint reflecting the orange street lamps as it drove through the wet, slushy snow that covered the street. Evan felt that he should run from the car but he didn’t want to bring any attention to himself, unable to do anything but watch it get closer to him. The car got closer, coming to a stop in front of him. Evan stood his ground, watching the doors open as four men in dark suits with polished shoes and guns holstered on their belts got out. They headed  towards Evan who backed up, his eyes scanning the street for any possible way to escape. 

“Evan? We’d like you to come with us, please.” One of the New Town men said with a smile.

“Y-You have the wrong guy.” Evan snapped, his eyes landing on the narrow street across from him and the open door of an apartment building at the end of the street. Once inside, he would be able to get up to the bridges where they wouldn't be able to catch him once he got into the crowd. “You’ve probably confused me with someone else.” Evan said as he backed up to the cold brick wall, his hand curled around the baton he kept hidden in his sleeve. 

“Take him.” The man ordered. The others stepped forward suddenly, one with his gun raised at Evan. It took one quick move, the metal of the baton reflecting the light as it was swung through the air, coming down the man’s wrist with the sound of cracking bone and a scream, the gun falling to the snow. Evan should have grabbed it, but instead he ran, vaulting himself over the car and sprinted towards the narrow street and the open door. A gunshot rang through the air, the bullet ringing off the brick wall near his head with a flash of sparks. 

“Don't kill him! The project needs him alive!” Someone shouted. Another gunshot rang through the air as Evan reached the door, searing pain shooting through his thigh. He screamed in pain  as he fell to the step, blood falling to the stone street. With another cry of pain, his hand pressed to the wound, Evan reached with his other hand for his fallen baton. An arm wrapped around his neck, choking the air out of his lungs as a soaked cloth was pressed to his face, the toxic fumes blurring his sight. He immediately felt light headed, his legs going limp so the men had to support him. His  eyes rolled up to see the four bridges above him as the world darkened and disappeared. 

 

Evan woke with a jolt, his dream of toy soldiers and bombs still running through his mind. The bright light stung his eyes, making him wish that he had remembered to close the blinds before going to bed. He was tempted to yell for one of the others to come in and close them from but he decided against it. Instead, he laid back down, reaching for his blanket only to realize that he didn't have one. 

Evan’s eyes shot open, taking in the strange room. He had no idea where he was or why, different emotions making it hard to think. At first, he thought he had died since everything was clean, white and bright. Then, the foggy, pained memories of what had happened as he had been walking home came back to him, his hand going to the wound on his leg. He could feel the gauze under his pant leg, meaning that someone had taken care of him. At least New Towners had the decency to make sure no one died from bleeding out. 

Across the room from his small bed was a large, heavy looking door with a small window in the middle. Through the small window, light shone into the room from the even brighter hallway. Evan wondered what kind of place would need so much light. 

With a small cry of pain, Evan pushed himself to his feet, limping slowly towards the door. He pulled the handle only to find it locked from the other side. He had to get up onto his tip toes to see through the small window in the door, seeing another door just like his across the hall. 

“You fucking let me out of here!” He faintly heard someone scream from down the hallway. “You’re all dead once Old Town hears about this! Ain’t nobody gonna stand for New Towners snatching us off the streets!” The sound of several footsteps echoed faintly through the hall, the screaming getting louder. “You are gonna kill us all!” Two guards pulling a struggling man dressed in Old Town clothes passed Evan’s door, continuing down the hall to someplace that Evan couldn't see. The screaming faded with the close of a door, the hall becoming silent again. Across the hall, Evan caught eyes with a young woman in another cell staring through her window with fear filled eyes. 

Evan moved away from the door, sliding down the white wall to the floor. He hugged his knees to his chest, pressing his forehead against the red leather of his sleeves. He told himself over and over that none of this was happening, that it was all a dream. He was going to wake up in his own bed in his own room with his own friends. This was all just a nightmare. 

 

The sound of sliding gears woke Evan who was just as startled when he woke up the first time. He didn't remember falling asleep, just remembered thinking that this a dream. 

“Come on. On your feet.” A man said. He was dressed in a suit with polished shoes, police machines standing behind him in the hallway. Evan didn't move, staring at them with a look of anger and disbelief. He couldn't move, not sure if it was more fear of the police machines or of the New Towner. 

With a sigh, the New Towner gestured to the machines who moved forward.  They pulled Evan to his feet, the harsh metal hands leaving bruises on his arms and shoulders. They ignored his cry of pain from the sudden movement, sure that it had torn the stitches. 

“S-Stop! Let me go!” Evan yelled, struggling against the machines. “What are you going to do to me?” 

“Bring him to the interview room.” The man in the suit instructed the machines. Evan tried not to struggle, the pain making him feel numb. He wanted to fight back, look for a way out and get home but he doubted that there would be any such way. He was outnumbered and didn’t even have a weapon. 

At the end of the long, painfully bright hallway was a small room with a clear table and chairs. On the table was a computer and a camera, a woman dressed in a suit and a lab coat sitting with her back to the door. She glanced up at Evan as he was brought into the room, looking him over with her dark eyes. He was pushed down into the clear chair on the other side of the woman, the guard using heavy metal cuffs to bind his hands together. 

“What are these for?” Evan cried, struggling to get out of the cuffs. “Please I just want to go home! I want to see my friends! What do you want from me?” Evan yelled, feeling humiliated that his eyes were starting to water. He wouldn't let them make him cry. 

“Please remain calm. We aren't going to hurt you.” The woman gave him a ridged smile that was meant to make him feel better but the white folder with his name on it that her hands were folded over made him nervous.  Evan wanted to get up and run, staring around the room with wide eyes. There were two police machines behind the woman who would stop him if he tried to to run. “I’m going to be asking you a set of questions and I’d like you to answer them honestly.” The woman’s voice didn't sound real, like she herself was a machine. Maybe everyone from New Town was a machine. “Let’s begin.” She pressed a button on the camera, turning it on. Evan stared at it, fear making him think it might kill him somehow. Everyone in Old Town said that machines could kill you, no matter what they were. As silly as it sounded, Evan couldn't help but believe it.  “State your name.” 

“Evan.” He answered, the reflection of the bright white light catching his attention. He had never seen such bright lights before and found himself marveling at them. Of all the things he hated about New Town, he let himself admit that their lights were beautiful. The lights he had seen were colourless but he liked to imagine they had lights that were bright, and colourful. Maybe they had colours that he had never seen before. If New Town could program everything, maybe they could make their own colours.

“You are from Old Town?” The woman asked, opening the folder to look through the papers inside. 

“Yes. I live near the big bridge.” Evan nodded. He wasn't sure why he said it, why he thought it was even necessary to mention. Maybe because he wanted to scare them with his knowledge of knowing how to escape them. Or maybe because that apartment with the big bridge over top was his home and had been for such a long time that it just made him feel better to say. Evan couldn't decide between the warning or the reminder, thinking it over as he looked back up at the camera. 

“You have been selected to be a part of the Vanoss project based on your personality and will. Though looking through your record, you destroyed a police machine in the past. That is something that no one else has done before. How do you feel about that?” The way she spoke made it seem like she would rather him dead than the machine that he decapitated. Sitting here at this table, surrounded by everything that was so strange and wrong,  he would have preferred that too. 

He struggled to think of an answer, remembering how he had felt in control, more powerful than he had ever been when the sparks flew around him, feeling the burn of them as they hit his skin and the machine fell to his feet. There had been several nights  afterwards where he had laid in bed, kept awake by the excitement of what it would be like when New Town fell just like the machine. “Please answer the question, Mr.Fong.”  His gaze snapped up, staring at the woman with wide eyes. How could she know his last name when he hadn't said it? His gaze went down to the folder in her hands, realising that it must contain more than just the basics about him.. He wondered if they knew more about him than he did. It wouldn’t surprise him at all. He felt anger replace his fear, his eyes narrowing at her. 

“It had it coming. Those machines hurt people in Old Town. How could I stand by and let people get hurt?” His voice rose with his anger, struggling against the handcuffs that he so desperately wanted out of. “Why did you handcuff me? Do you think I’m gonna kill more machines?” Evan yelled, his threatening gaze on the police machines by the door. 

“Only answer the questions. Do not ask them.” The woman snapped, catching Evan off guard. It shouldn’t have since Old Towners were never allowed to ask questions. “How do you feel about consciousness?” The woman asked, her eyes still on the folder, flipping through the documents that were on him. He stared at them, trying to see if he could pick out anything that had been written about him. 

The question seemed strange when he thought about it. It seemed out of place compared to the ones that he had just been asked. He could have said a lot of things, could have made a comment about New Town didn’t have a conscious but he feared that he would be completely defenseless if he angered them too much.  

“It’s...It’s being aware. Aware of choices we make and the consequences of them; good or bad. Our consciousness is who we are. It makes us us.” He said quietly, glancing at the police machines behind the woman. He wondered if they had consciousness, if a machine could even be conscious. “We’re conscious when we are awake. When we’re aware of the world. It’s what makes us human.” The questioned he wished he could ask was if New Town’s machines were like humans if they were conscious.

“How would you feel if your consciousness was placed into a machine?” The woman asked. Evan wondered if she had read his thoughts when he was wondering if machines could be like humans. He glanced down at his handcuffs, the thought occurring to him that it would be like this, tied down and helpless, if he was in a machine. 

“It would be...restricting.I guess it would depend on what kind of machine. I would want to be able to move, to be able to hug my friends, and continue about my life without needing someone to carry me around like the tablets some of those factories make. I want to be able to go places. To be able to see the world and live my life. I’ve seen what those police machines do and it would be hard for me to imagine being in a machine when people are hurt by them everyday in Old Town. So no...No I wouldn’t want that.” He shook his head. “That isn’t a life worth living.” 

“If you were to disappear... would you be missed?” The woman asked, closing the folder. Evan stared at her, trying to understand the relevance of this question. He couldn’t question it, so all he could do was think about his answer. He thought about Brock, and Lui and how they would probably be wondering by now where he was and why he wasn’t home yet. He thought about Sydney, her smile and her laugh and wondered if he’d hear it again. He thought about Tyler, though aggressive, he was so full of love for the world and how wonderful it could be. Yet...would he really be missed? All he had done was bring trouble for them ever since he destroyed that machine. Would he really be missed? 

“I-I...I think so. I like to think so.” He finally said. 

“Thank you, Mr.Fong for answering this first initial set of questions. You will be brought to New Town for further progress of the Vanoss Project.” The woman smiled, turning off the camera. 

“No! No you can’t bring me there!” Evan yelled, the machines moving towards him. They pulled him from his seat, ignoring him as he yelled, and struggled, pulling against the handcuffs and the machines that held him back. “Let me go! Let me go!” Evan screamed. He managed to pull free of one of the machines, using the metal of his handcuffs to hit the weak wiring protected only by flimsy metal on it’s neck. The machine fell back, letting go of Evan who sprinted towards the door, and out into the hallway. He struggled to keep from falling, his bound hands weighed down by the heavy metal cuffs. The wound on his thigh screamed in agony, seeming to beg him to stop. He couldn’t seeing the stairs at the end of the hall. He hadn’t been able to reach the door in Old Town, but now he had to reach the stairs. It was his only way out. 

A sudden force hit him in the back, sending him sprawling to the cold white floor. He let out a small groan of pain, blood oozing from bullet wound on his leg. Police machines approached him, a sharp pinch of a needle piercing his arm that made him wince. He couldn’t fight it, feeling light headed as the machines picked him up and pulled him back to his cell, his feet dragging on the white floor, the white hall fading to darkness. 

 

Evan woke with a start, delusional dreams of bombs, falling bridges and toy soldiers still running through his mind as his eyes opened, looking up at the bright white lights above him. He wasn’t in the cell that he had first woken up, now in a much smaller one that didn’t have a door. It was simply a plain white room with four walls and no way out. He wasn’t even wearing his own clothes, now wearing all white t-shirt and pants, slippers left for him beside his bed. 

“Hello?” Evan called out. He got up slowly, looking around the room to see if there was a door or a way out. He hit the walls, listening to see if they were hollow. Eventually, he just started hitting them because he was scared, because he wanted out. He felt like the walls were closing in on him, crushing the air out if his lungs as he screamed and hit the walls till his hands bruised. “Let me out! Let me out!” He screamed toll his voice was hoarse. “I want to talk to my friends! I want to go home! I want to talk to Tyler! Please!” 

He fell back to his bed, his head hitting the thin pillow. He rubbed his eyes, fighting back the tears. He wouldn't let them make him cry. They could take everything but he wasn't about to let New Town break him. 

 

Time began to blur. He no longer had a concept of time, the room and the lights never changing except when he would awake from a restless sleep, a small tray of food would have been left for him. He was alone, in solitary with his thoughts that were so full of anger and pain, he'd rather starve than give New Town the victory of successfully getting rid of the Old Towner who destroyed a police machine. Yet the thought of his friends back home kept him from choosing that way out,  instead choosing to fight this. 

Yet he didn't even know what this was. He thought about everything that had happened to him, only knowing only that he had become a part of the Vanoss Project and that it must have something to do with consciousness based on the questions he was asked. He found himself talking out loud as he thought, the only way to know for sure that it was truly him thinking. He was terrified of slowly losing his mind in this tiny room.

When thinking out loud of where he might be and why became too much, he started to recite poems. One he remembered reading as a child when he first started writing to the ones that he written most recently. He even began to compose new ones, saying words he wished he could write since he knew they would be forgotten the moment they left his lips. He composed poems about his friends, about the bridges of Old Town and the distant glowing towers of New Town, about the room with it’s four plain walls and his slow descent into insanity. 

“Every poet goes mad...It's seems fitting that I am too.” Evan had said out loud. The next time he woke up from a restless sleep, there was a small note pad and a pen beside his regular tray of food. 

 

“Evan? Time to wake up.” It was the first voice he had heard other than his own in so long, he was convened at first it wasn't real. “Evan.” His eyes opened slowly, focusing on a woman, the same one who first interviewed him, dressed in a dark suit and a lab coat. She stood in the doorway across the room from him, giving him a smile as he sat up. The door was right there, just across the room from him. It had been there all along. He didn’t quite believe that it was real either. 

“I-Is...Is this real?” Evan breathed. 

“Yes. You have been in solitary confinement for almost two months. That time is up and I’m here to escort you to your new room.” She smiled, fake and programmed. 

“Why? Why did you keep me in here? For two months?” Evan yelled, getting to his feet. 

“It’s all a part of the project, Evan. It was a test to see how you can handle being alone for long periods of time. You are among the lucky ones who managed to pass the test.” She smiled eerily. “Now come with me please.” She said, stepping out into the hallway where there were three police machines  waiting with handcuffs. Evan still reached for his notepad, tucking it into the waistband of his white pants before following her. The hallway was long, white and bright like everything seemed to be in this strange town but at the end of this hall was an elevator. Maybe this time, he could reach it. As much as he wanted to run, exhaustion weighed him down like the handcuffs and found himself unable to do more than follow. “How are you feeling, Evan?” She asked, glancing back at him. 

“I want to talk to my friends. Why can't you let me go?” Evan asked the woman who didn't answer him. “Please just let me talk to them!” 

“You’ll see them when the project is over.” She said, her lips stretched into her usual fake smile. They reached another cell that was bigger than the last one, with a softer bed and a small barred window that let in the glowing blue lights of New Town. “Why don't you write them a letter? I’ll make sure it gets to them. Use that notepad you were given.” The woman smiled as he was pushed into the cell, the handcuffs removed. The door was closed and locked with the swipe of a key card, leaving Evan alone once more. 

Only this time, he didn't feel so alone. He set his notepad down on the bed as he moved towards the window, wrapping his hands around the cold bars as he stared at the glowing lights. In the distance was the orange burning sky above Old Town, smoke rising to the sky. He had been gone for two months now which meant that everyone thought he was dead. Towards the end of his confinement, he felt that he was dead too. Now that he was out and seeing the lights, seeing the world again, he felt alive. He felt like he could start fighting again. In the meantime, he was okay with just staring at the lights of the New Town. Looking down at the street below, he could see sleek cars driving along the perfect snow covered streets and looking up, he could see airships floating among the towers. Looking back down at the street, he watched people go back and forth, dressed in beautiful clothes in colours and patterns he had never seen before. He watched two young boys on a motorbike drive past the tower, their blue suits seeming to glimmer in the light. He watched the snow fall and the stars shimmer like the lights. 

“It’s beautiful.” Evan whispered, his tears reflecting the light as they fell. 

 

It wasn't long after Evan got out of solitary that the tests began. First, they were just mental tests, testing his intelligence as well as his other motor skills. He was confused, not wanting to do them after not doing anything for so long but he didn't want to resist and get a dose of anesthetic again from the police machines so he complied. 

When he was left alone in his cell, he tried to compose a letter to Tyler and everyone else he knew in Old Town. He would always start it the same, telling Tyler that he wasn't dead. After that, it all fell apart into a chaotic mess of fear and wondering. He would tear the paper off the pad, crumpling it into a ball only to write the same thing again. 

The mental tests began to take a turn eventually. He would sit in a chair, tied down by metal cuffs as they scanned his brain. The technology scared Evan when he first saw it, trying to run from the room before he was grabbed by machines and dragged back. Since then, they had to keep him tied down for fear that he would try to run again. It was during this time that he had his second interview, the questions mostly about how he felt about what he had been through so far. 

“What is something you want to do?” The woman had asked from the other side of the white table, the camera recording everything he did. 

“I want to run. I want to get out of here. I want to go back home.” Evan said quietly. He had kept telling himself that he wouldn't let New Town break him, that he would get out of this and return home yet as time went on, he began to feel himself crumble. “I want to go home.” 

 

The sky was starting to darken, the glowing stars never seen so bright in Old Town shone above the towers of New Town. Evan laid on his bed, pen in hand as he stared at his letter to Tyler. Not feeling that this would be the letter he would send, he simply wrote about the beauty of New Town though it was such a horrible place. 

“Why did you press the fifth floor button?” A voice echoed from the hallway, catching Evan's attention. He hadn't heard it before, the giggling tone catching him off guard. None of the New Towners he knew laughed. 

“I thought it was fifteenth!” A second voice said. “What's on this floor anyways, Jon?” Evan got up, his slippered feet silent on the white floor as he tip toed towards the door, peering through the small window to see who was out there. He caught a small glimpse of blue, too far away for him to see clearly. 

“I think it’s just offices. That's what the other lower level floors are. Come on, Luke! I got a new game. Let's go upstairs already!” The first voice said. It was a voice unlike any that Evan had heard since he got here. So full of life, it couldn't be like the other scientists and doctors who all sounded like machines and smiled like they didn't know what happiness was.

“It doesn't look like offices. Come on, let's explore!” The second voice said excitedly. 

“Luke! Stop it! Let's just go upstairs. This place gives me the creeps.” The first voice, Jon, said. Evan was tempted to call out to them, ask them to open the door and let him go. 

“Do you think they are doing experiments down here?” Luke asked, his voice filled with curiosity.  

“On what?” Jonathan asked. Footsteps echoed down the hall, polished shoes clicking on the white floor. “Machines?”  Evan took a deep breath, opening his mouth to call out but was stopped by the echoing sound of a door opening. 

“Jonathan, sir. What are you doing here?” Another voice said before Evan could. A man in a lab coat passed Evan's door, walking down the hallway. 

“Nothing. My friend, Luke, he pressed the wrong button. We’re on our way now.” Jon said. The hall went silent after that, the man walking back down the hallway. Evan sighed as he turned away from the door, laying back down on his bed. As he started to doze off, a voice full of life and wonder drifted through his head. 

 

“Evan. Time to wake up now. You get to home today.” His eyes opened to see the woman in the lab coat standing in the doorway. She smiled her fake smile as he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

“I-I do?” Evan asked, not sure of he believed it. 

“Yes. We’ll do one last interview, followed by one last brain scan to see how you are doing, then you will be taken home.” Her smile never faded. It almost seemed like she knew it was fake too and underneath it were emotions that she wouldn't dare show Evan or the other New Towners. He got up, walking out into the hallway where two police machines put handcuffs on him and escorted him to the interview room. He didn't understand why, he didn't feel like fighting anymore. He understood. From the fake smile to the fact that the others that he had seen had disappeared, one by one when he was told they were sent home. He understood what was really happening. 

The woman took her seat across the table from Evan, turning on the camera once he was seated. “State your name.” The interviews always began this way. 

“Evan Fong.” He answered softly. 

“How do you feel now the project is over for you?” She asked, glancing up at him. 

“I feel...Tired. Not in an exhausted way. It’s more of the tired you feel when something that has been long and torturous, is finally over and you can rest. That's is how I feel.” Evan explained, watching the light reflecting off the metal. He wanted to keep the image of lights in his mind for they were as beautiful as the voice he had heard in the hallway and the flash of bright blue that came with it. He wanted to remember the beautiful things for there were far too many cruel things. 

“Are you excited to be going home?” Evan shook his head. 

“Not really.” He sighed, glancing up at her. 

“Why?” 

“Because it won't be the same. I’ve seen things and I understand  now. Home just won’t be the same anymore after this.” Evan said. He knew Tyler wouldn't show how he felt and that the others would be angry and upset. He wasn't quite sure how he felt yet about it. He knew he should be angry and try to fight, but he was just starting to accept it and was just sad that it had to be like this. He should have known though. New Towners just didn’t care about Old Towners. Why would they be kind to him? 

“How do you feel about consciousness now?” She asked, folding her hands on the table. 

“It is being aware. Someone was aware of my need to write poetry and gave me a notepad, consciously aware of it’s effects. It is being awake to surroundings and it is understanding.” Evan could feel the tears in his eyes. “It is understanding that a lot of things are beyond our control and that the world will continue on but our consciousness and our lives don't just end when they do. They live in other people too. Everyone is aware of each other. We’re conscious of each other.” 

“Do you have anything you want to do before the scan?” This question didn't seem like the others. Evan glanced up at her, realising that she knew that he knew what was about to happen. Her smile had faded, the folder closed and set aside. 

“I want to write a letter to Tyler.” Evan said as calmly as he could. 

“You’ll see him soon.” The words sounded so forced, as if denying what he was thinking. 

“I want to write a letter to Tyler.” He repeated. She nodded slowly, turning off the camera. She took a blank piece of paper from the folder in front of her and slide it across the table to him, giving him her pen. 

He wrote slowly, explaining everything to Tyler. Occasionally, he would have to stop to wipe the tears from his eyes, avoiding the sympathetic look on the New Towner across the table. His writing wasn't as pretty as it normally was, sloppy due to this cuffs that still bound his hands but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He told him what was about to happen, and he told him about the cruel things but more importantly, he told him about the beautiful things. He told him that this wasn’t the end. 

“Please...Make sure he gets this.” Evan said once it was done, leaning back in his chair. The woman nodded as she took the letter, folding it and placing it into his folder. The door opened behind her, the police machines walking in. They pulled Evan from his chair, escorting him down to the end of the hall where the scan room was. He was seated in the large chair, the cuffs left on his hands. A cold chill from somewhere behind him made him shiver, seeing an open door out of the corner of his eye behind him. 

“Excited to go home today, Mr.Fong?” One of the doctors asked. Evan didn't answer, his eyes on the elevator at the other end of the hallway. If he had run, he could have made it. If only he had run faster that night in Old Town and in that first white hallway. All he could do now was keep his eyes on it, remembering every little detail and wondered where Jon had stood when he was there, a bright splash of colour against the white. The door was closed mid thought, the helmet-like scanner lowered over his head. 

“This won't be long. Now, can you say ‘Hello’ for me in your happiest voice?” One of the lab coat wearing New Towners asked. Evan could hear the machine working, seeing the faint glow of the blue light from under the helmet. 

“H-” Barely a sound left his lips before he felt himself go numb, a sudden jolt of pain shooting through his skull before fading as quickly as it happened. He felt like he was floating, no longer bound by handcuffs. He couldn't see, couldn't feel anything. It felt peaceful. 

 

All at once, his senses were overwhelmed with light. After a moment it faded to a softer warm glow. He struggled to understand where he was. More than that, he didn’t know who he even was. He felt as though he was still floating, not sure if this was even real or if he was even real. “Hello?” He said, able to sense someone was near. “Oh...This is strange. I do-” Time stopped for a moment, as if he had fallen asleep so suddenly that it scared him when he came to again. “n’t understand...Oh that was strange too.” He turned his attention to the person that seemed so close by, yet he couldn't move to get closer to them. He couldn't even see them, only see colour and light. “Who are you?” He wasn’t even sure where his voice was coming from or how he could hear it. It just happened, existing without explanation. 

“You want to know my name?” A voice asked, sounding so light and gentle, so full of life. 

“Isn’t that the polite thing to do?” He laughed. 

“Jonathan. My name is Jonathan…” Said the bright, beautiful flash of blue light. 


	10. Chapter 10

 The heavy, cold door closed behind Jonathan as he stepped out of that horrid room full of bodies. He stared at the chair in the center of the room, walking towards it slowly. The scanner that hung over it was still on and glowing, seeming to taunt Jonathan with its pretty lights and shining metal that had been cleaned of the blood that had dripped from the nail inside. Tyler stood by the door, his knuckles white from how tightly he held his gun. They knew they had a job to do but they couldn't think clearly at the moment, unable to move or speak for what felt like an eternity.

“I want to burn this place.” Tyler finally said, his tone dark and scaring Jonathan. “How could they do this?” His voice raised, echoing in the empty room. “You’re a New Towner! You lived in this fucking building when they killed Evan! Why? Why did they do this?” Tyler screamed. Jonathan eyed the gun in his hands nervously, backing up from him. It wouldn't surprise him if in his rage, Tyler tried to kill him. “Why don't you people fucking care?”

“I care!” Jonathan yelled back, tears falling from his eyes. “I’ve been lied to as well all my life! I’ve been treated like a fucking broken machine all my life. All my malfunctions unfixable to my father! To everyone! This isn't my fault because I never would have done this! To anyone!” He took a shaky breath, tears falling from his eyes. His weak legs forced him to sit down on the large metal chair, painfully aware of the nail in the scanner right above his head. He wondered if Evan was aware of it too before he died. “People in New Town are cruel. We don't understand that life can be a battle because we’re given all these things right from the start. I remember when I was young and ignorant. I didn't understand why Old Towners were angry because I thought they were like New Towners. We aren't told that our actions have consequences. We never have to face them. You had to face them. Evan had to!” Jonathan got up suddenly, hitting the metal scrapping his hands curled into tight fists. He enjoyed the feeling of hitting something, of inflicting damage on either the machine or himself of which he wasn't sure what he liked most. He hit it again, and again, his knuckles starting to bruise and bleed. He stumbled back, leaning against one of the side tables as he gasped for air. “I’m sorry.”

“It's okay. One of us was going to do that sooner or later. Just glad it was you. I don't need my hands broken.” Tyler sounded angry towards Jonathan, as if his explanation wasn't good enough. At this point, none of it was good enough because it would never bring Evan back.

“You know...For a while I thought the Vanoss-III was a copy of Evan and the real Evan would be alive...waiting for us to find him. I imagined that we would find him in his red and white jacket and he would ask us what took us so long.” Jonathan laughed, tears falling from his eyes. “I would tell him that all we had was a copy of him...A small fragment of he was to find him. I guess I was partially right…” Jonathan rubbed his eyes with his blue suit sleeve, glancing back at the cold door. “If he could...What would he say now?” He wasn't expecting an answer, just silence.

“He’d smile and he’d ask us what took us so long.” Tyler answered. Jonathan turned to look back at him, not sure if he was being genuine or not. “Let’s get this over with and then you can ask him yourself. If you still consider that machine to be Evan cause I sure don't. My Evan is dead on a table in that room. Who is yours? A New Town machine?” Tyler snapped as he turned and headed down the hallway towards the elevator. Jonathan's hand curled around the strap of his bag with the Vanoss-III inside. He could leave it here, accept that Evan was gone and burn it along with the rest of the tower.

His mind was made up, closing the door behind him as he left and joined Tyler at the end of the hallway. “That's what I thought.” Tyler whispered as the elevator doors opened. Jonathan stepped in, the Vanoss-III in the bag at his side.

“It's on the thirtieth floor. I’m not sure how easy this is gonna be to find it, let alone  getting into the right room...Let's just hope that we blend in enough.” Jonathan tried to change the subject, unable to ignore the weight of the Vanoss-III in his bag. He could have left it with Evan, the real Evan and let it all burn and continue on with his life with closure that Evan was dead. However, he wasn’t gone. Evan lived on in the Vanoss-III, even if he was just a copy. Jonathan had chosen selfishly to keep the Vanoss-III because he couldn’t live without hearing Evan’s voice even if it wasn’t really him.

“How do you plan to destroy the computer?” Tyler wondered. Both of them felt so tired, their angry energy drained after being on that horrid floor. They only talked now because they had to. “Would it destroy the Vanoss-III too?” Jonathan opened his bag, reaching for the bottle of alcohol and the rag kept beside the Vanoss-III and his small box of tools he would need to get the door open.

“We’ll burn it. They expected that if someone were to try to destroy the computer, they would try to take it apart. They never thought of it being melted.” Jonathan showed the bottle to Tyler. “I don’t think the Vanoss-III will be affected. Evan...I mean the Vanoss-III runs on it’s own. It doesn’t need signals to tell it what to do. Evan decides for himself.” Jonathan explained.

“Stop calling that copy Evan. It’s not him.” Tyler spat.

“I think it is. He remembers everything. Remembers you. His life continues on through continuity. To him, it's like nothing happened. It’s like his life didn’t end...It just continued on in the Vanoss-III. You can say it’s not Evan, but he is still going to say that he is.” Jonathan said sharply as the doors slid open. They stepped out of the elevator into a hall similar to the one on the fifth floor, except instead of cells, the rooms were actually offices. “Be careful. The police machines they have guarding this place are a lot more aggressive. They may as well be military machines.” Jonathan whispered as they walked down the hallway. A few people were still in the offices, glancing up at them as they passed but didn’t say anything when they saw the blue suit uniforms they wore.

Though they were able to casually walk throughout the floor, Jonathan couldn’t stop feeling terrified. He had been gone for a long time, he was sure that questions had been raised. He had been lucky in the elevator that the doctor didn’t ask questions about where he had been or who Tyler was. Maybe she thought he was Luke. Jonathan was certain that his luck was about to end, that at any moment someone would approach them and ask all kinds of questions that neither would be able to answer. So he did what Tyler or even what Luke would have done and puffed up his chest and pretended to be brave as he walked down the hallway.

“Where is it?” Tyler whispered as they turned a corner, seeing more offices and not much else. “You had better be fucking right about this.” He growled, glancing over his shoulder to make sure they weren’t being followed. Jonathan tried to stop himself from doubting of he had been right. Of course he was right. He had to be.

“I-I am.” Jonathan whispered.

“Better be.” Tyler snarled. Towards the end of the hall was a heavy door made out of metal that required a key card and a code to open it, confirming that Jonathan had been right.

“This is it.” Jonathan opened his bag, taking out his box of tools. “Shoot that camera.” He pointed to the corner of the hall where there was seemingly nothing.

“There ain’t nothin there.” Tyler spat.

“Yes there is. Shoot it.” Jonathan ordered. Tyler raised his gun, shooting the corner. Sparks shot from the hole left in the camera, falling to the white floor in the same way the snow did outside. Jonathan pretended not see Tyler’s look of shock, pulling the cover off the keypad, cutting the right wires that would unlock the door. It slid open, both of them coming face to face with the barrels of guns that stopped them from moving into the room.

“I expected this would happen one day but I never expected it to be led by you.” Jonathan’s father said from behind the police machines. “What happened to Luke? Have you replaced him already?”

“You know damn fucking well what happened to Luke.” Tyler snarled, ignoring the comment about replacing Luke the same way that machines replaced people. “He’s dead because of you.”

“I did not order that bombing.” His father said calmly. The police machines stepped back, their guns making Jonathan nervous though they were allowing him and Tyler into the room. “Why have you come back after all this time, Jonathan? To ruin everything that you have been given? And for what reason? Did those Old Town scum fill your head with lies?” Jonathan clenched his jaw, anger curling his hands into fists. “Or did you fill your own head with lies? Do you think that I wouldn’t notice a file missing from my office? Do you think that I wouldn’t connect the dots between that file and your questions about the Vanoss-III?”

“You killed Evan! You killed him and so many others for the Vanoss project! You put a human consciousness into a machine!” Jonathan yelled, his bloody hands curling into fists. “A virtual friend? Do you not care about human life?”

“Our society is powered by machines. We can make us, humans and our lives better if we are more mechanical. We could live forever.” His father smiled. “In the Vanoss-III, Evan will live forever. Isn’t that what the real human goal is? To be immortal to all pain? Evan should consider himself lucky to be a part of the project. To say that we don't care about human lives is the opposite of the truth. We make them better.”

“You make me sick.” Tyler snarled.

“Of course you wouldn’t understand. You Replaced never do.” Jonathan’s father snapped, mocking them. “You are nothing but the scum of the earth and every last one of you Old Towners are holding us back. I’d have you all killed.” Tyler snarled, stepping toward with his gun raised. The gunshot that followed echoed through the room made Jonathan jump, his eyes closing tightly as he felt blood splatter onto his face.

Jonathan’s eyes opened slowly, his gaze landing on Tyler’s bloody hands. They were pressed to his stomach, blood spreading across the white shirt that had once been Luke’s. Tyler looked up at the police machine that had shot him with confusion as if he wasn't sure of what had just happened, before he slowly looked at Jonathan with wide, shock filled eyes.

“Jon…” Tyler stumbled backwards, tripping over his feet. Jonathan caught him before he could hit the floor, slowly laying him down.

“Shh...It’s okay. It’s okay.” Jonathan whispered, taking off his jacket frantically and pressed it to Tyler’s wound, his blood covering Jonathan’s hands.

“Jon...You gotta...You gotta destroy...destroy that machine. The...The others...They can’t fight the...machines…” Tyler stammered, blood starting to drip from his lips as he coughed it up.

“You have a choice, Jonathan.” His father said from where he stood by the computer.

“I don’t fucking want one.” Jonathan spat, tears falling from his eyes.

“Well you have one. You can walk away right now. If you do, I’ll call those police machines off and all of your Old Town friends can go back where they belong, safe and sound. You can stay here, where you belong with your Vanoss-III. Even let your friend here be healed by our doctors and brought home safe. It will all be normal again. How it should be. We can forget all about this.” Jonathan’s tears fell from his eyes, landing on his blood covered jacket that he pressed to Tyler’s wound. Tyler met his gaze, shaking his head weakly. He was trying to plead with Jonathan, beg him not to say yes that.Everything, every life lost, would all be for nothing. “Or...You can destroy the computer. I won’t stop you. You will just have to deal with the consequences. Everyone of those Replaced that you care about will be killed. This world will fall into chaos and everything that your family has worked for for hundreds of years will be gone. You’ll be on your own in a hell of a world. When we finally restore order, you will not be my son. I will leave you to the dogs of Old Town to eat you alive. You had better think carefully, Jonathan. You had better know what you really want.”

“K-Kill...him…” Tyler stammered, looking up at him with pleading eyes. “T-Think bout...Evan...and Lui...and Brock...everyone else...T-They n-need this to work…”

“We’re all dead either way.” Jonathan whispered. He looked up at his father, shaking his head. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t decide the fate of everyone who had joined the Replaced’s cause. He couldn’t let them die. It should be obvious, his choice. He knew he was expected to let everyone survive, to return everything to normal. He could have his version of Evan and could continue to live in New Town and life would go on as if nothing had happened. Except Luke wouldn’t be there and Jonathan would have to live with the fact that he let everyone down. That he let Evan down. He couldn’t live with that.

The second choice was just as bad, knowing that if it went wrong, a lot more people were going to die, their blood on Jonathan’s hands as much as Tyler’s was. He stared down at his red covered hands, thinking about how Lui had saved him and Luke on that bridge, slipping from his grasp and now, Jonathan was about to let him down a second time. He thought about the kindness that Brock had showed him, more than another than Luke had before. He thought about how passionate Tyler was and how he would have made his choice by now, even if it meant he would die because of it. He thought about Sydney who had lost the person she loved most to a city she hated the most, prepared to fight to get him back.

“So, Jonathan? Do you want to come home now?” His father asked. Tyler shook his head, the movement causing him more pain. Jonathan let out a choked sob, leaning his head against Tyler’s bloody chest. He felt Tyler’s hand on top of his head, stroking his hair gently.

“I can’t make this choice...It’s too much...It’s too much.” Jonathan sobbed. “I’m sorry...I’m sorry.” He wasn’t sure who he was saying sorry too.

“J-Jon...Y-You gotta…” Tyler could hardly speak, choking on blood as he spoke. “P-Please…”

“I can’t…” Jonathan sobbed. “We’re all dead either way. He ain’t gonna call off the machines if I choose to stop this...They are gonna keep killing them till no one is left...and if I destroy it...whatever happens is on me...I can’t do this.” Jonathan sobbed as he slowly sat back up, trying wipe his eyes with his sleeves only to smear blood on his face. Tyler reached for his fallen gun, handing it to Jonathan with a bloody hand. Jonathan stared at it with wide eyes, having never even held one before.

“Y-You gotta do...w-what is right.” Tyler whispered, his hand starting to go limp around the gun. “Y-You...Y-You have to be...a real s-soldier now.” He thought about the toy soldiers, protecting memories and writing poetry. That’s all Jonathan had been for so long.A toy soldier.

Jonathan took the gun, looking up at his father and the police machines who were waiting for his choice to be made. He laid Tyler back on the floor, trying to avoid the sight of his dark red blood against the white of the floor, loading the gun as he stood up. In one quick movement, Jonathan shakily aimed his gun at one of the police machines, the bullet piercing it’s weak neck. Sparks showered onto the floor as it fell back, the other firing it’s own gun. Jonathan cried out in pain as the bullet hit his shoulder, sending him stumbling back. He was able to recover, shooting the other machine before turning the gun on his own father. He leaned heavily against the wall, blood oozing through his blue jacket.

“Where did you learn to destroy police machines like that?” His father demanded, glancing nervously at the fallen machines. Jonathan wondered how he ever could have considered this man his father, such a cold, heartless and pathetic person.

“Evan.” Jonathan snapped.

“You can kill a machine, but can you kill me?” His father challenged him. “Is this really what you want, Jonathan?”

“It doesn’t matter what I want.” His finger shook on the trigger. “It’s what I have to do.” Jonathan pulled the trigger, watching his father’s blood splatter on to the white wall behind him as he fell to the floor. He dropped the gun, crying out in pain from the movement of his shoulder. He took a moment, leaning against the wall to catch his breath, willing himself to stop crying. He should have known that this would happen. As much as he wanted it not to be, his job wasn't done yet and he was forced to move despite the pain.

He bit his lip to stop himself from crying out again in pain as he dragged Tyler out into the hallway, blood smearing on the white floor. “It’s okay…It’s okay, Tyler.” Jonathan whispered when he heard Tyler let out a small gasp of pain. He sighed in relief, knowing that he was still alive. He left the gun with Tyler, returning to the bloody room. He stared at the computer as he took the bottle of alcohol out of his bag, stuffing the dirty rag into the top. With a small flame from a borrowed lighter, he lit the rag on fire, watching it flicker as he stepped back. He threw the bottle across the room, watching it explode onto the machine and immediately catch fire, the wires sparking and spreading the fire.

He fled the room, returning to Tyler in the hallway. “Come on, Tyler...Come on…” He put Tyler’s arm around his neck, hoisting him to his feet. “We just gotta...gotta get out now.” Jonathan stammered as they hurried back down the hall, glancing over his shoulder at the growing fire. The fire alarms went off suddenly, shrieking in Jonathan’s ears as he pushed open the door to the stairs, having to stop several times to make sure that Tyler was still breathing. New Towners would push past them frantically, not even noticing the blood that they were covered in.

They had just barely pushed through the door to the lobby when Tyler collapsed, pulling Jonathan down with him. “T-Tyler! C-Come on!” Jonathan yelled over the scream of the fire alarm. Looking up towards the doors, he could see that the massive mob of Old Towners had made it, fighting the malfunctioning police machines and the New Towners trying to stop them. “T-Tyler! W-We did it...come on!” Jonathan cried. Tyler didn’t respond, laying limp on the white floor as blood pooled around him. “Tyler!” Jonathan screamed, shaking him by his collar. Though the movement made his wound worse, the pain making him grit his teeth, he pulled Tyler back up. He couldn’t leave him here, practically carrying him towards the doors. “We’re almost there…” He kept repeating over and over, forcing himself to keep moving towards the door. “We’re almost there…”

He pushed it open, the sound of screaming, yelling and gunshots louder than the alarm inside. The Old Towners were clearly overpowering the new Towners, destroying the machines just like Evan had done. Jonathan felt relief that his choice had been right, that he had done the right thing.That no one else was going to have to die.  

“Jonathan! Tyler!” He heard Lui yell, turning to see him and Brock push through the crowd towards him. “Oh my god…” Lui breathed when he came to a stop in front of them, seeing all of the blood. Lui took Tyler from Jonathan, yelling at others to help him try to revive him. Craig pushed through the crowd, Sydney behind him. As Craig fell to the snow by Tyler, Sydney was looking at the doors, as if expecting Evan to walk out at any moment.

Jonathan fell to his knees, unable to stop the sobs as Brock knelt down beside him, pulling him into a gentle hug. “It’s done...You did it.” Brock whispered, stroking his back gently. “It’s all okay now.”

Sobs shook Jonathan’s shoulders, catching in his throat as he cried. His choice had been right but his life was gone. There was no going back. There was no safe haven anymore. There was no ignorant bliss anymore. He would never be able to hear Evan’s voice without thinking about the fact that he was dead and his existence in the Vanoss-III was wrong. He couldn't close his eyes without seeing all the blood. His own, Tyler’s or his father’s. Yet he had done the right thing. At least, he thought it was.

  
  


The cold wind nipped at Jonathan’s cheeks and pulled at his scarf around his neck as if trying to play with him. He had been standing in the cold for so long he had gone numb to it. He stood on the large bridge, it’s cables and metal creaking and groaning in the cold. On one side was Old Town and in the distance, the burning remains of New Town, the sky orange with smoke and constant fire. To the other side was the unknown. In his hands, was the Vanoss-III.

Since returning from New Town, Jonathan hadn’t been able to talk to Evan, needing to rest from his wound when he wasn’t sitting by Tyler’s side, hoping that he would wake up. When he had thought about talking to Evan, he didn’t know what to say. How could he tell him he was actually dead? That he was just a copy. When he told Brock and Lui about what happened to Evan, they had cried, their hope that Evan might still be alive shattered just like Jonathan’s had. They had suggested that Jonathan could just not tell the Evan in the Vanoss-III but Jonathan was sick of choices.

Now he stood on the bridge, watching the water below him move quickly with it’s current, snow falling softly through the air. With a sigh, he pressed the on button, watching the red owl light up bright red. He wondered if Evan would be happy if he was represented by an owl in this form.

“Evan?” Jonathan asked quietly, looking down at the glowing owl.

“I’m here.” Evan answered, sounding happy and alive. Tears welled up in Jonathan’s eyes, wiping them away with his sleeve before they could fall onto the screen. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

“No...We...We took down New Town...It’s done.” Jonathan said simply, still trying to think of how he could explain to Evan what had happened to him.

“Really? How?” Evan asked, his voice full of excitement. Jonathan explained everything, leaving out the part about finding the fifth floor and what was on it. He started to cry again when he told Evan what happened to Tyler and the choice he had to make. He stopped, trying to compose himself to continue.

“I-Is...Is Tyler alive?” Evan asked after a moment.

“Yeah...barely. All we can do now is hope he can pull through.” Jonathan choked back a sob, his tears falling onto the red screen. “Evan...There’s more than that.” He hated that he had to do this. He didn’t want to tell Evan but he had a right to know. He deserved more than anyone else the right to know what happened to him. “You…” He paused, thinking of what to say. “You’re dead.” Evan was silent for a few minutes, scaring Jonathan with every passing second.

“What do you mean? I’m right here. I’m talking right now. How can I possibly be dead?” Evan finally asked, trying to laugh it off as it was just a joke. “How?” He  suddenly yelled, the owl becoming a dark red and glitching.

“After you were kidnapped, they, the New Towners, they took you to New Town. I don’t know what they did to you except that they copied your mind, your consciousness and once they did...they killed you. The real you. They put the copy in this machine. You’re the copy.” Jonathan explained, struggling to keep his voice steady. “I’m sorry, Evan. I’m so sorry.”

“You’re wrong...You’re wrong.” Evan repeated. “I can’t be dead! I’m Evan!” He yelled, sounding like he was crying. Jonathan was sure that if he could, he would be crying.“I’m Evan! I’m alive!”

“Yes...You are Evan. A copy of Evan.” Jonathan sighed.

“Stop saying that!” Evan yelled, his voice cracking. Jonathan closed his eyes, almost wishing that he had left the Vanoss-III in the tower to burn with New Town. Evan, this Evan, did not deserve to deal with this. If the device was destroyed, it would be the end of Evan and he could finally rest. This Evan is a ghost, not aware till now that he was dead. He continued his life without a body, haunting the people who loved him.

“Evan...I’m sorry. You deserved to know.” Jonathan said softly.

“I’d rather be the dead version of me than this. Am I even real, Jonathan?” Evan cried.

“Of course you are real.” Jonathan cried, a bit meaner than he meant it. Once more, Evan didn’t say anything, as if thinking as much as Jonathan was about what to say.

“So what now? Do I keep existing like this? Or do I just...stop?” Evan asked, his voice quiet and heartbreaking. Jonathan couldn't think of a life now without Evan when he had nothing else but it was selfish to think that. This was after all, Evan’s life.

“It’s your choice, Evan.” Jonathan answered, a part of him not wanting another heavy decision hanging over him.

“I can’t control anything about me except what I say. How could it possibly be my choice?” Evan snapped. “I’m not even the real fucking Evan!”

“Because it’s your life! You are Evan!” Jonathan yelled. “You might not remember it, but you had said being in a machine like this is not a life worth living. You wouldn’t want it. I know that was you when you were alive...Before becoming the Vanoss-III but something tells me that hasn’t changed. Is this really a life that you want, Evan? When I die, I’m gone but you...You are going to live on forever.” They were silent again, listening to the creaking of the bridge.

“I can live on...In another way.” Evan said after a moment. Jonathan shook his head, not wanting to consider what the other choice was. “You might not be able to talk to me but I’ll still be there...My life extends beyond my body or a machine...It’s in other people too. You care about me...You’ll bring me with you everywhere, the same way you bring this machine everywhere.”

“Evan...Are you sure?” Jonathan fought back more tears, hating the choice he was about to make.

“You have to do what is right.” Jonathan nodded slowly, pressing a kiss to the glowing red screen. With his eyes on the water below, he let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the official end of Awake! I will be posting a little epilogue for it soon though! Thank you all so much for the support for this fic, it means so much! I never thought it would do as well as it has! Thank you!! I hope to start on another au fic soon and that you will like it just as much! Thank you!


	11. Epilogue

Dear Tyler,

It’s me, Evan. I’m not dead. I know I’ve been gone for a long time and I don't really know why but I hope that I can go home soon. All I know for certain is that New Towners took me and now I’m part of this thing called the ‘Vanoss Project.’ Tyler, I don't know what to do anymore. Help me please! I can't fight this on my own!

-Evan

  
Dear Tyler,

They keep talking about this ‘Vanoss project’  and that I am a part of it but I can't help but wonder if this is punishment for killing that police machine. Spending  time in jail would be preferable to this, Tyler. I feel like they know everything that is going on inside my head. It scares me. Help me.

\- Evan

  
Dear Tyler,

One of the others was sent home today. At least, that is what they told me what happened to them.  I’ll probably never be able to send these letters to you before they send me home but writing to you makes it feel better. I don't feel so alone. It’s like...you could be right here with me.

You probably would have escaped by now if you were here. I wish I could be as brave as you, Tyler. Though...sometimes I don't think it’s bravey. I think it’s recklessness and a lack of caring. Please care about yourself, Tyler. We all care about you.

\- Evan

  
Dear Tyler,

I’m scared. I’m so scared. I’m scared of what they might do to me. What if they aren't going to send me home? What if they kill me instead? I heard one of the others screaming at the doctors that they killed those who had been sent home. He said that we are all going to die. I know I shouldn’t listen to the screaming...They are all as delirious as I am but I can’t help it. I’m terrified. I’m kept awake because I’m gonna have nightmares of doctors, white lights and blood. Help me, Tyler. Please God, help me.

\- Evan

  
Dear Tyler,

Am I even writing to you anymore or am I just writing for myself? What's the point? You’ll never know what is happening to me. You’ll never see these letters. To you, I’m already dead. I hope you miss me because I miss you.

\- Evan.

  
Dear Tyler,

I know you hate New Town but from where I am right now...lookin out my window, I can see why it’s easy to love it too. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Tyler. I’ve never seen so many lights in so many different colours before. It’s as if they took the stars out of the sky to decorate their buildings with. And there isn't any smoke in there air so you can see every real star. If I had a telescope, I could see planets, it's so clear. It's so perfect. I wish you could see it. I wish you could see the lights, the airships and the beautiful clothes the people I’ve seen wear and the towers so high, they might reach space if they were any higher.

I don't want to destroy New Town. I want to destroy what it stands for.

\- Evan.

  
Dear Tyler,

I heard a voice that was so full of life that for a moment, I thought it was one of you. I thought that you had come to save me. But it wasn't you. It was a New Towner. I didn't know that it was possible, to hear something that should be like a machine, sound so human. It sounded so beautiful, I only wish I could have seen who said those words. It was so simple but at the same time, I can't get them out of my head.

I’m starting to forget your voice, Tyler. I’m sorry if this new voice replaces yours.

\- Evan

  
Dear Tyler,

This isn’t going to end, is it? That was all I could think about when they kept me in solitary and it’s all I can think about now. I can't sleep well anymore. I wish I had my toy soldiers with me. Writing words just isn’t enough, I need something to hold. I’m so scared of being alone.

\- Evan.

 

Dear Tyler,

Why didn't I run that night when I had a chance? You would have run.

\- Evan.

  
Dear Tyler,

I never knew how to tell you that I am alive but I do know how to tell you that I am dead. They are going to kill me very shortly, Tyler. I know you would be scared and angry, yelling at me to fight. You wouldn't let me give up. I wouldn't say that I am giving up but I’m so tired. I don't want to fight anymore for I know that it will only prolong the inevitable.

I should have known from the start that this was how it would end. I should have known from simply being born in Old Town that my life was destined to end early and that I wouldn't be prepared for it. Maybe, since I know I am going to die within the hour, I am prepared at least. More than I will ever be. No one is ever really prepared to die, are they?

I don't want you to be sad. There is nothing that would hurt me more now than that. My life extends beyond the limits of my body and my own consciousness. You carry me with you as well as everyone else that we have lost. When you remember me and smile, it’s as if I’m still alive with you. I will never leave you as long as you remember me.

I have seen beautiful things from my prison window. I have seen the lights and I have seen freedom. It is out there, please don't give up on it. With every fight, I’ll be there with you. This isn’t the end. I think of this an open door. A door that leads to a free, peaceful, world where there is no wall that separates new from old. I’m just on the other side of the door and that is where I’ll wait for you.  

\- Evan.


End file.
